The Cure for Miata's Cancer

[MazKid]

That will be used to fix this:

And this:



My Miata has cancer and I'm just now getting around to fixing it. Bought this half-cut for $350(plus tax...) from a local. All I wanted was the driver's side quarter and passenger side rocker, but they decided to cut the car in half and give me and my brother one hell of a hassle. The impatient workers at the yard basically forced the thing in his truck, leaving a nice scratch and dent on the outside of the bed. Needless to say apparently a Miata is wider than a B-series truck, go figure.

2 of my brother's friends(a couple) will be fixing it...they're both body shop people and can weld and do everything with the exception of painting, but they think they might be able to set that up too. Preliminary estimate stands at $450 before painting. I'm the type thinking "Whatever it is, it is". I'd rather it be done soon, before it gets worse, definately before winter. I saw this '92 Miata at the yard behind the fense and the rockers are GOOD. No rust...a few dents, and it was time.

Hooray for a donor Miata to fix a Miata in need.

[protegeDX]

yeyy ;>

[EricM]

very nice - keep us updated with progress

[ScOrTGtC]

whoaw!!! i was thinking of doing the same exact thing for the escort.... but itll be the front end... keep us updated!

[MazKid]

Well the work will start as soon as this Sunday...We are going to strip the half-cut first...it's got useable stuff like seat belts, parcel shelf carpet, trunk seal, top seal, even a strut on the trunk hinge(I believe this is aftermarket and will probably go on mine). Then we are going to cut off the parts we need(the rockers).

From there, we will overlay the rockers on my car and cut both pieces at the same time that way they fit better. Then there's welding, filling, and then we are going to spray it with lots of rust protectant both inside and outside of the rockers, making it better than the factory protection.

Then paint. If it doesn't come out quite right I'm thinking of Racing Beat rear rocker flairs...they cover up the rockers from a few inches before the vertical seam to the rear wheels, and then up to that body line, basically the whole part we are replacing. Not really a fan of body kits like that, but that's a worst-case scenario.

Should be fun!

[Jho]

Looks like you have quite the project on your hands.

Good luck Ryan.

[MazKid]

OK I went over to the guy's house today and him and another guy from the local forum brought the half a Miata into the garage and flipped it over just before I got there.
We then began to grind off the paint on the rockers and drilled out the welds and then broke them loose from the backing structure. On Saturday night(unless he does it before then) we're gonna cut the rockers off at the body line and down the door jam, then flip the thing back over and I'll gut the rest of the parts still on it.

Then the work starts on my car probably the next weekend. Hopefully it'll go well and there won't be rust on the structure in the rocker panels, otherwise we'll have to cut that off too, somehow.

[Jho]

Take some pics of the that.

[HaitianProtege]

Two tone miata FTW!!!! LOL

[MazKid]

Take some pics of the that.

I will Saturday. I forgot to take the camera over there today.

[gtx510]

The rear 1/4 doesn't look that bad? I won't cut it out to fix a dent. Rocker looks rusty? Is it rusty? Hard to tell in your pics.
Cut the whole car up and build a Locost...

[Jho]

The rear 1/4 doesn't look that bad? I won't cut it out to fix a dent. Rocker looks rusty? Is it rusty? Hard to tell in your pics.
Cut the whole car up and build a Locost...

Yeah, the rocker is all rotted out.

[Turpro]

I will Saturday. I forgot to take the camera over there today.

its sunday.....wheres the pics?????

[Jho]

It's Monday, where are the pics?

[jamaican]

it's tuesday... where are the pics?