HIDEOUS ABOMINATION on mag cover

zookeeper said:

There's a huge difference between careening around some cones in a parking lot and making a fast lap at Laguna Seca. My wife's nephew is an autocross guy and thinks his Escort is a race car because he routinely beats Corvettes and Mustangs at autocross. Like most autocross guys, he's living in a fantasy world.

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LOL...I have a couple of friends into that, and I have to admit, one of the most boring spectator events ever devised. The only people getting anything out of it are the people behind the wheel.

Mustang panels on a Miata? Blech. It's like those Ferrari kits cars that are Fiero based.

Double blech.

I'm a little surprised. I was expecting much worse. I think it is absolutely wrong though, for sure. Miatas are apparently versitile little vehicles. I was watching GEARS today on Speed (i think) and Stacy David was working to throw a Ford 302 into a Miata to make it faster than a Z06 Vette or Viper. I'm not sure that is going to be possible, but we'll see. He is comapring it to the old Shelby 429 Cobra. I almost wanted to cry. How can he compare the two. Very sad.

Why wouldn't it be possible? In factory form Vipers and Z06 Vette's aren't all that fast. By factory production standards they are, but not to us in the hobby.

The new z06 LS7 Corvettes are pretty quick, with an average time of low-mid 11's in factory trim and running as fast as 10.70 (don't quote me, but it is between 10.70 and 10.80) with just a set of drag radials.

However, throw a 302 into a car that weighs next to nothing, and it will certainly be able to go that quick. No, the 302 won't be stock, but granted the stock LS7 is a 15,000 dollar engine. Spend half of that on a 302 and you'll easily outrun a stock Z06 'vette in a straight line.

Obviously though that is like comparing apples to oranges. Two different classes of cars, and extensively modifying one. Not too valuable of a comparison. But it certainly is faster, and we even have a Miata here in my hometown which would outrun either of those cars. It's a common swap and kits are available for it.

honestly, i wouldn't mind having one of those little monster miata's with a 5.0/5 speed. i'd put a super quiet exhaust in it and keep it looking as stock as possible but with bigger meats front and rear, just to scare the guys with the vettes and camaros and even some of the late model mustang guys around here.

the most fun i've ever had driving or riding in any kind of car was my best friends old 78 280-Z 2+2 with a built 350 and a turbo 350 trans with a stall convertor, couldn't get that car to do a burnout to save it life...it would push the front tires along the street doing nothing but flat spotting them...AWESOME!!!!! but nail it coming onto a freeway on ramp and it would give you all the smoke you ever wanted to see and doing it sideways the whole time!!!!!! yeah!!!!! that was some cool stuff.

you could be driving along in this thing doing 70 mph and stomp the angry pedal to the mat and feel the ass end of the car scoot over to the left about 5 five feet and about 1 second of watching the car next to you slowly get his nose in front of you then all of a sudden he's about 10 cars behind you in the blink of an eye.


the kicker of the whole deal was rode, drove and handled exactly like his other 77 280-z 2+2 that was bone stock, except that the 350z, as we called it, vibrated and shook a little more than the stock one. they could even have been mistaken for the same car except for the wheels and tires and the 350z was 2 tone brown and gold and the stock one was just gold.


his car was not really loud but you could tell that it wasn't a stock Z real easy, even with 4 brand new mufflers, the front 2 were like 28" long and the 2 behind the rear well where the stock muffler would normally go were about 12" long, now we're talking 40" of muffler on each cylinder bank and it was still loud and unruly enough to know that it wasn't a six banger in that car anymore. we tried different things to make it sound less like what it really was and the 4 glasspacks were the best we could come up with, that would fit under the car.

mtbdoc said:

I would rather have a Miata w/ a hot SBF stuffed into it, rather than hanging the body panels on the Miata...

...still...it makes me a bit ill. I really like Miatas, and I LOVE OLD MUSTANGS. Keep them apart. This is some kind of abomination! I am having flashbacks to a particular line from Ghostbusters!

Cats and dogs....

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On Stacey David's new show Gearz, last week they began project banshee.

They are putting a 400 hp Keith Craft engine into a Miata.

Their website shows it reruns on Wed. April 18th at 5pm EST

M1stangsmc.com

Hi Everyone, John from M1stangsmc.
Well I must say my wife and I have gotten a much nicer response from the Mustang Club events we have been invited to attend. Even recieved a third place trophy at the South Jersey Mustang Hollman Ford show. I come from a Ford family starting with my dad's Model A to my wife's Mercury Milan which shares it's platform with the Mazda 6. Nice car-for a front wheel driver. Now let me correct a few comments I read.
The Mazda MX5 Miata is the most popular sports car ever made. From Laguna Seca to Pocono Speedway it is the most popular race car in America. It may be a good autocrosser but it is more at home chasing down a Z06 in the corners. Just think of all those chicks haveing so much fun! I add about 200 pounds of steel body to the M1 which is offset by racing roll bars and a mild boost super charger. Thanks for your time and if you are in New Jersey give me a call and take the M1 out for a ride. Lunch is on me. 732-446-7332
John
Schoeller Motors LLC
M1stang

sm1stang

chromedog said:

it could be worse... they could slap the panels on a toyota! but you figure, if you first have the 5.0 conversion done on the miata, then have the bodywork done, there would be alot of head scratching going on at the local car shows!

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At Mustang events many people don't know it's not a Mustang. When they ask whats under the hood I tell them a cammer motor. When the hood opens instead of a FE 427 SOHC there's a super charged I4 with overhead cams. Then I tell them It's not a Mustang and the questions and fun starts. John-m1stangsmc.com

zookeeper said:

There's a huge difference between careening around some cones in a parking lot and making a fast lap at Laguna Seca. My wife's nephew is an autocross guy and thinks his Escort is a race car because he routinely beats Corvettes and Mustangs at autocross. Like most autocross guys, he's living in a fantasy world.

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The MX5 Miata is the most popular race car in America. It may be a good auto crosser but from Laguno Seca to Pocono Speedway it's more at home chasing down a Z06 in a corner. John-Mf1stangsmc.com

krash kendall said:

I wonder what the final weight is?

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2600 lbs. Mild boost super charger and racing roll bars keep the handling ready for race day. John-M1stangsmc

M1stangsmc said:

The Mazda MX5 Miata is the most popular sports car ever made. From Laguna Seca to Pocono Speedway it is the most popular race car in America.

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I would really like to see where you got your stats on the Miata being the most popular ANYTHING in the US. I promise you this much, it is NOT a racecar, nor will it chase down a Z06 on anything but a parking lot. Just because people race them does NOT make a Miata a racecar. Car salesmen (like you) may like to tell people they are trying to sell a car to that it is, but that does NOT give it racing credentials. I supppose someone somewhere is racing a PT Cruiser (another very popular car) but that doesn't make it a racecar, either.

M1stangsmc said:

The MX5 Miata is the most popular race car in America. It may be a good auto crosser but from Laguno Seca to Pocono Speedway it's more at home chasing down a Z06 in a corner. John-Mf1stangsmc.com

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Miatas are great at racing other Miatas and they are popular in the Mazda Spec SCCA series (but not chasing down Z06s). I owned a Miata for a few years and it was a blast to drive but the only way you'll chase down a Z06 is by putting a V8 into a Miata.

MontereyDave said:

I owned a Miata for a few years and it was a blast to drive but the only way you'll chase down a Z06 is by putting a V8 into a Miata.

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I think that is his point; but does he really think the sales pitch is gonna work around here?

M1stangsmc said:

At Mustang events many people don't know it's not a Mustang.

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I think that's more of an insult to the people than it is a compliment to the car.

I first saw one of these Miata-Mustangs in person 3 years ago, when I was 19 yrs-old, and even I could immediately tell it wasn't a Mustang.
Even from a distance you could tell the proportions were all wrong, and that the door handles belonged to a Miata, not a classic Mustang.

Well I must say my wife and I have gotten a much nicer response from the Mustang Club events we have been invited to attend.

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You might want to consider the fact that this is an internet forum and the people stating their opinions didn't know you were lurking. Now compare this to a car show where people are talking to you in person. Where do you think you'd be more likely to hear flattering comments?

Not only that, but a vintage Mustang forum isn't where his target customers are going to hang out. The likely customers for the Miatastang are people who don't want to work on cars, and really cannot tell the difference between a modified Mazda and a '65 Mustang.

I haven't previously commented on the car; because I haven't seen it until today. Having gone to m1stangsmc.com, and having seen the pictures; I don't like it.
Because of its proportions; it looks like a caricature. I wouldn't want one in my garage.

OBTW; I actually like the looks of an unmolested Miata. Call me crazy; but it looks good just as it is.

This poor car doesn't. Period.

EDIT: Having gone back and re-read 66 coupe's post; I feel the need to be quite succinct.

For M1stangsmc and for anybody other supporters that might be "lurking": You guys have taken two vehicles that I consider to be "classic" in their respective time periods; and created something that "disses" both of them. Congratulations.

I'd much rather go with a stock looking Miata and the 302 conversion

I've seen these before and they just don't look right

MontereyDave said:

Miatas are great at racing other Miatas and they are popular in the Mazda Spec SCCA series (but not chasing down Z06s). I owned a Miata for a few years and it was a blast to drive but the only way you'll chase down a Z06 is by putting a V8 into a Miata.

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READ-Chase it down in a cornner! Then watch the Z06 do it's thing.

Just the facts

"The world's largest racing and driving school has just teamed up with the world's biggest sports car company: The Skip Barber Racing School and Mazda have joined forces to bring you the best instructors and curriculum now using the "best tools of the trade". Skip Barber premier locations include Mazda Laguna Seca, Sebring International Raceway, Daytona International Speedway, Road America and Lime Rock Park. www.skipbarber.com and MazdaSport magazine.
The most popular race car in America! Got to go. Building another M1 and sales wants a 302 Ranger conversion with a replica 1936 Ford pickup body. I take very good care of my salesman and his wife. Now if I can just talk her into Tan and Maroon! Enough Said.

If this guy feels so justifiably proud of his "creation"; why does he spend so much of his Stangnet time - specifially, 100% of his Stangnet time - trying to justify its existance. Even trotted out a press relase describing Mazda as "... world's biggest sports car company..." It was a PR puff-piece, did anybody expect it to say "Skip Barber has joined forces with a Nissan/Subaru wannabe automaker...."

As I said, I like Miata's; although I'd rather see an early RX-8 with heavily modded suspension in an autocross, or at Laguna Seca for that matter. A buddy of mine (our wives went through Jr High, High school, college and nursing school together) with his rotary-powered RX-8 blew through early '80s "slalom courses" with frequent excursions up into 8500 RPM on his way to many trophies. Loved to hear those Wankel motors whine; sounded kinda like Indy cars