A Donor Car is Found!

I have been watching the Klode salvage auction for a few weeks looking for a suitable donor. There has been a low milage 2000 on their list for awhile but it hasn't had a sale date assigned. Last week it finally had a sale date so a friend and I drove down to the auction to check it out on preview day.

I was able to pry open the hood with the tire iron to get a look at the engine. I needed to know if the crankshaft had taken a hit in the wreck. After cutting the alternator belt, we put the car in 5th and pushed it slowly while I watched the front pulley for marks, dents or wobbles. It checked out OK. We tried to start it but the battery was totally dead. I decided to come to the auction on Monday and bid on the car.

I borrowed a trailer and arrived midday at the auction in bitter cold weather. After checking in ($2000 cash deposit plus $40 for a one day admission) I went out into the lot to see where they were in the run order. This car was #798 of about 1,000 scheduled to be auctioned. While I was waiting for them to get to the Miata, I found a lot boy with a battery and cables and asked him to jump start the engine. It fired right up and idled smoothly, no shakes or funny noises.

While waiting for the auction to get to this car I kept an eye on it from a distance and saw that two others were checking it out closely and making notes. I knew I had some competetion for this car. Finally the moment arrives and the bidding started at $700. The bidding was fast and furious (it looked like they sell a car on the average of one per minute) and I ended up getting the car for the max I had planned on bidding.

After settling with the title clerks and getting the rest of my deposit back, the auction used a large Michigan loader with 20' forklift tines to pick up the car and deliver it onto my trailer. I tied it down and headed out into Denver rush hour traffic for home.

After an hour to warm up I unloaded the trailer into the garage and had a closer look at the car. Then I got out some tools and my trusty sawzall and started to dismantle the wreckage on the front end in preparation for engine removal.

This is as far as I got. I only have 6 jackstands and four are under the Caterham so I need to pick up 2 more before I can remove the engine.

I will be posting parts for sale on the Miata.net classified as I get them removed and ready for sale. I am keeping the engine, trans, driveshaft and diff (if it turns out to be a torsen), the rest is for sale.

The start of this project is here