By Dean Larson

Looking for a dirt-cheap roadster to have some fun with? The answer is Miata, the answer is always Miata. Mazda built over 400,000 first-generation Miatas between 1989 and 1997, all in rear-wheel drive and a strong majority with manual transmissions. These NA (first-gen) Miatas are ludicrously cheap, fun to drive, have a strong aftermarket following, including visual enhancements, like this one has. 

The Miata listed here on San Francisco Bay area Craigslist has been treated to a host of cosmetic and performance modifications. Most notable, is the fiberglass Simpson Design Italia body kit. NA Miatas have a certain early ’90s import charm, but the Italia kit on this Miata is a nice improvement. All the features on the kit are subtle, but the finished product is a drastic transformation. In passing, the car may even be hard to recognize as a Miata.

Unfortunately, the body on the Mazda has seen a fair amount of neglect since its transformation. A sideswipe incident of some kind (garage door type we suspect) has left some large scuffs on the front and rear quarter-panels on the passenger side. Far worse and, more difficult to repair, are the alignment issues between the front quarter-panels and doors. On the driver’s side, it's clear that the upper mount for the front quarter has broken, shifting it into contact with the door. It’s not immediately obvious what’s wrong with the alignment on the passenger side, but the door shows damage from panel alignment. 

The car has a host of other improvements done that make fixing the body worthwhile. A Roots-style supercharger has been stuffed under the hood, most likely an Eaton bolt-on kit from Fast Forward Superchargers. The kit will push 6 to 10 psi and will be good for 160-200 whp, depending on which kit was used. The chassis has also been improved with sub-frame connectors and a strut-tower brace. Other modifications include slotted rotors, a set of OZ wheels and a custom interior, which looks nice from what can be seen in the images.

It’s hard to determine a fair price for the Miata. The seller is asking $13,500, which wouldn’t scratch the surface on what it took to build the car. However, buyers will need to invest some coin and elbow grease into getting the Miata back up to speed. So we’ll leave it up to you, is the Miata a steal or no deal?