The Mazda Miata is the best sports car of all time. This is almost universally known by enthusiasts. But for the uninformed, here are some quick facts for you: When the NA (first generation) was introduced to North America, it had a 50/50 weight distribution. It was also very affordable allowing the vehicle to catch on like wildfire as the amateur racers choice and the weekender’s toy.
All Original
The Miata came with a 1.6L I4. Which would be replaced in later generations with a 1.8L. It could be had with either an automatic or manual 5 speed, like today’s example. Typically, these motors were pretty reliable with the timing belt seeming to be the only major part that needs service. The seller notes that this example has had its timing belt replaced already. However, this roadster is noticeably unmodified otherwise.
Freshly Detailed
The ad for the vehicle states that this is a one-owner car that has been garaged in the winter, which wouldn’t be hard to verify in person. However, it is tough to discern with the pictures provided. This vehicle also has the optional Daisy wheels and newer radials. I don’t think the $5800 asking price is worth the one owner, optional wheels it claims. With the mileage over 109k, under $5000 seems to be more reasonable. Why not check the Mazda section of today’s Feed and find your own?
From lifted jeeps to pre-runner minitrucks, from SEMA-spec mall crawlers to home-built truggies, to the extensive aftermarket for trucks and (especially) Jeeps: the world of off-road has never been bigger or more confusing. I’ve been in the off-road community since the internet was in the model-specific forum days, and the time has never been better (or for you or your wallet) to get out to your local ORV park and begin your own adventure. In this article and the following series, I’m going to walk you through the process of which questions to ask yourself, and provide advice on which direction to take your build.
Whether you are building it yourself or having someone do the work for you, there are a few questions you will need to ask yourself before deciding on any vehicle. The first, and most important question: what kind of fun do I want to have? The off-road spectrum is wide and contains things like Baja 1000-style pre-running to Ultra-4 Truggy rock crawling. On a more sensible and practical scale, these are two main categories I’d like to focus on in the beginning: pre-running and rock crawling.
Now before we jump right into it, there’s something I’m specifically not going to talk about: Cost. Any project car will cost you something. It’s probably cheaper and more fun to just buy a Brazzer’s subscription than to buy a project car, but for the sake of this article, we’re gonna leave cost out of it and you can fit it to your budget.
So you wanna go fast? And jump things? And jump things fast? Then a pre-runner build might be for you. Pre-running is historically the designation given to vehicles that take to a racecourse prior to the race to spot and re-route the course around any danger that could be encountered. Often these vehicles have to be light, robust, built with parts that can easily be found for repairs and be able to carry plenty of supplies.
Pre-runners typically have some sort of independent front suspension or I-beam front suspension, allowing the springs to have a massive amount of travel, providing better on-road performance. Typically, the I beam suspension is considered the stronger option as it is able to handle the repeated blows the suspension takes when landing a jump.
Rock Crawling
Like to go slow? Climb over things? Climb over things slowly? Then a Rock crawler might be for you. Typically, most home-built and entry-level rigs will do this well. The history of Rock crawling is a bit difficult to piece together. It seems to have always been there as something to do with your truck. In a more professional sense, Ultra 4 and things like the Easter Safari (Jeep’s major MOAB trip) fall into this category, which is a great jumping-off point for off-roading as a hobby. Mostly, vehicles with sheet metal bodies (as opposed to fiberglass bodies of most pre-runners) are preferred as they take a walloping.
Most rock crawling rigs will have a solid axle front suspension and there are plenty of vehicles out there that came with one from the factory (some of them aren’t even jeeps). However, a common theme among rock crawlers is taking a Dana front solid axle, either in the 30, 44, or the coveted 60 series and swapping it into your own vehicle. Additionally, you can have it in either leaf spring or coilover configuration, both offering their own sets of pros and cons.
Over the next few articles, I’ll take a more in-depth look at each of these platforms, recommend some suggested vehicles to start with (that can all be found here, on The Feed) and point out some of the vital things you need in order to choose, build and enjoy your own off-road vehicle.
Picture this: It’s 2005 and you just got home from School. You just picked up your copy of the newly released video game: Need for Speed: Most Wanted. Adorning its cover is the iconic white and blue E46 M3 GTR that was the pinnacle car in the story of the game. Today’s Found on the Feed can help you relive those dreams and bring you back the thrills of those childhood afternoons that you spent daydreaming of owning your own M3.
Everything’s there.
BMW has been making M cars longer than most of us here at the feed have been alive and it’s one thing they do well. Many other OEM’s benchmark the M3 as the two-door performance sedan to beat. On paper, that’s no easy feat. M3s have an S54 with ITBS (Individual Throttle bodies) that put out a capable 338hp mated to either a manual or automatic five-speed.
Those three Colors mean business.
Today’s example looks to be almost time-capsule status. With only 49K miles on the odometer, that’s practically only driving it to church on Sunday’s for 15 years. Furthermore, you can see that the interior is quite clean and the M specific wheels still have that shine. The seller mentions the car has always been maintained at a specialty BMW shop. They also mention that the car is 100% stock.
Loaded and Leather. (Title of your sex tape)
Overall at $19975, You can chalk this one up to BMW’s holding their value well. There are cheaper alternatives out there if you have to be in an M3. I doubt you will find a cheaper alternative with as little modifications as this. At the end of the day, nobody will have a bad time in an M3, even if the car is 17 years old. Maybe then, only for a second, can you relive the moment you win your car back from Razor.
Want to find your own? Collector Car Feed publishes daily lists of interesting cars for sale, including plenty of BMWs just like this one.
What do you get when you cross an 80s mid engine sports car with a K5 Blazer? A car the previous owner bought as a joke: “One of our clients who has way more money than he needs… bought this car to cruise the strip in Las Vegas. …our client has a wife who for some reason did not think the car was as funny as he did.”
Topped off with some Ferrari 348-inspired graphics, this Fiero is ready to score boomer points at Cars and Coffee or mildly amuse, for the first five minutes or so, any onlookers at the local dunes.
The “Fierrari” is front engine, powered by a small block Chevy 350 v8. Unfortunately there are no pictures of the engine bay or trunk. This auction is live on eBay at the time of writing; the current price is $3950 with three days to go. If you’ve been looking for a creative way to piss off your wife, this lifted Fiero is a tried and true method.
Yes, this is the best picture of the car in the ad
The Maxima is Nissan’s mid-size car that started life as the Datsun 810, and while it might not invoke the feelings of driving passion or speed, it’s actually quite the nimble family carrier and can be equipped with a fairly potent V6. The sheer amount of Maximas produced ensures that parts will be plentiful for years to come, and making a sleeper out of one isn’t to tall an order.
The 4DSC decal that proclaims that this, in fact, is a 4-Door Sports Car
This 1993 Maxima GXE may not have the venerable VQ35DE that graces the engine bay of it’s better equipped younger siblings, but what it lacks in oomph, it makes up for in chutzpah. In 1989, Nissan redesigned the Maxima and set out to create sporty sedan, and they were so proud of the result that they emblazoned the rear windows of the 1989-1994 Maximas with the 4DSC moniker, which stood for 4-Door Sports Car. The SE models received a DOHC 3.0L (VG30DE) that was good for 190hp, while the lower trim like this GXE made due with a SOHC 3.0L (VG30E) making 160hp, still not bad for the early 90s.
Minimal number of farts in driver’s seat, an often overlooked metric
One thing to take away from this ad is that it’s almost a lesson on how NOT to sell a car. The pictures are terrible, and very little effort overall has been put into the description. “Still has the owners manual :)”, gee thanks Karen. However, this ad is also a great example of how to score a diamond in the rough, because this car is low miles and appears to be in great condition, inside and out. The paint still has gloss, and the close up of the roof shows superficial scratches that a weekend and a buffer will easily remedy. It’s very low miles for the age, and would make a unique daily driver for somebody looking for some ’90s nostalgia in their life.
Shit’ll buff out
The asking price of $5,000 is, admittedly, a little on the high side, but that’s what negotiations are for. People aren’t exactly breaking down doors for early Maximas; coupled with the effort put into the for sale ad, that’s a recipe for $1-1.5k off that asking price. I just wish I lived closer to Kentucky.
The Toyota Celica is unquestionably a rare car. During the height of the JDM influence in the American market, this often-overlooked model had quite a few desirable performance variants. North America saw a few trim levels of the Celica on our shores, most notably the All-Trac, (Fifth generation) GT (Sixth Generation) and GTS (Seventh Generation) but quite a few more were overseas only. While today’s example never arrived officially, It has been imported legally.
uniquely JDM
The listing for this example claims to be (and checks out to be) very rare. With original Tri-Spoke wheels, only 62k Miles, this was not only a rare find in Japan but a very solid import into America. The GT-Four featured the 3S-GTE engine, which is shared with the MR2 Turbo of its time, it’s a proven solid drivetrain that can be built into an in JDM legend or used as a reliable showpiece.
Mostly Orginal, Untouched goodness.
As with any build, it’s nice to start with a generally unmodified platform. The listing states this car has very minimal, yet tasteful (above pictured Strut Tower Bar) aftermarket parts. I’d make the exception here though, with the GT-Four being such a rare vehicle that its value should only increase as we see the wave of JDM imports hitting American shores. That being said, the importer is asking $17,995 for this Celica GT-Four. It’s a tall price to pay for a unique JDM legend, but this piece of history is sure to stand out at any Radwood you plan to visit.
The Honda Prelude is an often overlooked JDM classic. Available worldwide in a variety of trims, the Prelude could be configured a plethora of ways with either an F22 or the more sought after H22. These motors were similar to the coveted K series but more affordable and easily built. The Prelude is often a unique foray into the JDM market, instead of the all too common Honda Civic.
Looking relatively clean and stock.
This 2001 Honda Prelude example appears to be perfect for your first foray into building a streetable JDM classic. Particularly clean as the below picture shows, this body has 176k miles with a replacement clutch. while initially, that seems to be a lot of miles, this car is rife with Ebay Build potential. The H22 Motor that comes with this example is a great first motor to work on, as things tend to be a bit more simple.
Just as clean on the inside.
Overall, this is still a Honda and it will be a very reliable car even without the motor work. However I believe any expert will agree, you should always start your build with a stock, clean example so you know what you’re getting into. With this vehicle being a California car, you can rest assured that rust won’t be the biggest issue you will run into during your build. With a price of $4000, you’d have to wheel and deal a bit to make this a great deal.
About a year and a half ago, I imported a 1991 Toyota Celsior Spec C from Japan. I had been looking for a nice LS400 for a while, and given the prices that good low mileage examples were commanding, I decided my money would be better spent importing one, since Japanese imports are generally better maintained and taken care of when compared to their American equivalents. I also wanted to try my hand at importing, and figured I would start with a less expensive car in case I just completely fucked up the import process and ended up getting the car crushed. So began my adventure with “the most reliable car ever built”.
Auction photo in native Japan
The day the truck delivered the Celsior to my house, I was ecstatic. Months of looking for the right car, bidding, and patiently waiting for a cargo ship from the land of the rising sun was now over. For under $6,000 American, I had an auction grade 4, Black Jade Metallic, 130,000 km Celsior sitting in my driveway. Like nearly every imported vehicle, the Celsior arrived with a dead battery. I left it trickle charging overnight, and was rewarded with a battery that held charge and did not need replacement. After a few cranks, the Celsior sprang to life and I took it for its first drive around the block. I fell in love with the smooth, quiet ride, and overall comfort I felt driving it, as well as the relatively unobstructed greenhouse that you simply can’t find in modern vehicles. The justification to my wife (“Oh, I’ll just import this one to see if I can do it and sell it for a slight profit”) quickly left my memory (but not hers) as I happily envisioned my new, cool daily driver shuttling me to and from work.
Isn’t it beautiful?
I made note of the things I wanted to get done, namely a tune up and oil change, and also noted that although the tires looked great and had plenty of tread, their DOT date showed they had been manufactured in 2006. After a relatively simple registration process, I now had a title and a license plate for my RHD beauty, and a newly arrived package from RockAuto containing a few oil filters, air filter, spark plugs, wires, distributor caps (yes, caps), and rotors (yes, rotors). I enjoy working on cars, and will usually tackle most jobs myself, so doing the tune-up myself was a no-brainer. It saves money and would allow me to “get to know” the car; she needed to be shown that I care.
The most reliable powerplant in history: the 1UZ-FE v8
The tune-up, honestly, turned into kind of a bitch. I had to remove quite a few panels and covers to get access to everything, but it eventually got done, and I had a clear conscience knowing I had been a good boy and had done the preventative maintenance the car needed. I went to take it for a test drive; the car was struggling to stay on, and was just running like garbage. Feeling defeated, I opened the hood and noticed a huge vacuum hose that I had forgotten to plug back into the intake. I was elated when the car returned to normal the moment I put the hose back on, and was again happy with my hard work. The car ran great for about a day, then started misfiring horribly shortly after I again left my house. I turned around and limped it home, defeated once again, thinking there was no way this fix was going to be as easy as me forgetting a vacuum hose. After about 15 minutes of diagnosis, I discovered that the left side coil pack wire was damaged and arcing straight to the block. The depression quickly left my body, and after digging an old coil wire out of the trash can, the car was humming once again. I got a warranty replacement wire from Denso and all was right again in the world… until I put the spark plug cover on the car a couple of weeks later and discovered the issue was, once again, caused by me. There is a spot on the spark plug cover that has a notch for the coil wire, and I didn’t notice that, causing the wire to become pinched and damaged by the cover, thereby causing the arc. I wasn’t going to bother Denso again and ended up running the extra, longer coil wire that was included in the kit, which was meant for the later model LS400.
Hole in coil wire
Now, as you are reading this, I know what you’re thinking: “this shit isn’t the car’s fault, this dude is just dumb and he’s blaming the car for his fuck-ups.” And yes, I agree. None of this stuff was the car’s fault, but I have to preface the story with this because in my wife’s mind, all of this is me fixing a broken car, and that made what comes later annoy her even more. While my wife is a hater, I really do like the Celsior, I promise. More on the import process and total expenses next week.
Don’t mind the reflection, we’ll talk about that another time.
The second generation of the Ford F150 Lightning was arguably one of the best. With the (new for) 1997 body, Ford reintroduced the Ford Lightning variant. Like the original Lightning, the second generation featured an Eaton supercharger on top of the 5.4l V8 that was shared with the regular F150 lineup. Additionally, Lightning’s featured a unique front and rear bumper, as well as suspension components to lower the truck.
Like a true performance vehicle, the interior was very basic.
Today’s example, a 2003 SVT F150 Lightning was nearly one of the last model years for the truck. This one specifically features a Kenne Bell kit in replacement of the original Eaton. The wheels are the standard OEM while the bumper is aftermarket. The seller states within the listing that he will provide the original parts with the truck.
The aforementioned Kenne Bell.
Overall, This is a little pricey at $16,900 for this low(er) mileage example. With 87000 miles on the truck, it seems to be in pretty good condition from the included pictures. As the overall truck market expands and inevitably we see a return to more performance-based trucks as enthusiast cars disappear, this could be a great future buy.
