Miata-based CMC Locost Seven
By Dean Larson
Every donor car has its day in the world of replica vehicles. The Fiero, the Beetle, the Fox Body, and plenty others have all had their time to shine, being liberated from average commuter status to fast and fun weekend driver — ideally. While it’s not a new development, the Mazda Miata continues to be one of the best cheap donor cars on the market, and honestly, prices haven’t even hit rock bottom yet. Peruse your local Craigslist and you’ll surely find at least one “used” Miata for cheap.
In addition to your Miata donor, you’ll need some new fancy hardware to give the Mazda new life, and a popular choice is the Lotus Seven replica. They’re simple, affordable, and a thrill to drive at just about any speed. There’s quite a range of Seven replicas on the market, from complete Caterhams at the top of the market, to custom homebuilts on the lower end. Buying new is great if you can swing it, but there are bargains to be found on abandon secondhand projects if you’re diligent. While doing the biweekly Craigslist crawl, we stumbled upon the CMC Lotus Seven replica that shows some potential as your next Locost Seven build.
CMC, or Championship Motor Cars, are fairly prevalent in the Locost Seven community. They’re built on a steel chassis of sufficient strength for four-cylinder builds and have been completed with Miata donors, RX7s and more. This example on Orlando Craigslist is said to be a full roller on a powder-coated frame with steering, brakes and a Toyota differential installed. Most of the cosmetic items you’ll need to finish the car are included in the sale, such as the windshield, fuel tank, and fenders. On all four corners, 10-inch wide Avon tires are mounted on 13-inch diameter Diamond Racing Wheels. As it sits now, its simplicity begs you to finish the project, and those wide wheels and tires are eager for a good thrashing. There’s still a good amount of work to be done on the project, in fact, most of the real work remains. But that’s the fun in these projects right?
From here, the next owner of this Locost will have to decide what donor will be used to complete the driveline. On the cheap, you can’t beat the Miata, and I found several running and driving Miatas under $1,500 in a five-minute search.
It’s easy to see the potential in this project, but you’ll need to be an expert negotiator to make the dollar figures line up. The CMC roller isn’t super pricey, but we think it could be purchased for much less, as this price is pretty close to what the original buyer paid. Also, Miatas are everywhere, so there’s no need to overpay for one. This example for $1,200 is one of the better buys, but you’re bound to find a cheaper, low-mileage car elsewhere in the rust belt. If you could kick this project off for around $6,000 to $6,500, you’ll have more left over for the finishing touches.
If you're enticed by this Locost Seven roller, check out the seller's ad here.
Also, here's a head start on your Miata donor hunt:
https://kalamazoo.craigslist.o...
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