• Hi Guest!
    If you appreciate British Car Forum and our 25 years of supporting British car enthusiasts with technical and anicdotal information, collected from our thousands of great members, please support us with a low-cost subscription. You can become a supporting member for less than the dues of most car clubs.

    There are some perks with a member upgrade!
    **Upgrade Now**
    (PS: Subscribers don't see this gawd-aweful banner
Tips
Tips

Too much candy-What to do?

smaceng

Jedi Knight
Country flag
Offline
Hi all,
So I have "finished" my 1960 BE, took 18 months and looks spectacular (still need to pull the trans for a prof. rebuild). So what is the problem, you say? I already have the ideal sports car, everything we want our Sprites to be, a 1992 Miata. I've had the Miata for 8 years, put all the tricks on it, lowered, supercharged, tires, etc, etc.
Today I went out for runs with both cars, back to back.
The Miata is everything one wants in a car, great handling, brakes, transmission, engine, seats, etc. I just can't have three cars, something has to give. The BE is outstanding and I love showing it a shows and to just about everyone who sees it. This is my second BE, the first was done 33-40 years ago.
What to do, what to do?
Scott in CA
 

Attachments

  • 22086.jpg
    22086.jpg
    50.3 KB · Views: 348
Keep the Miata, pay the higher license fees for a new vehicle, avoid cheap "antique car" insurance, drive something anybody can build by simply ordering parts.
 
Obviously the white one is not a car it is a Bugeye so it does not count. Now about the other two what's the problem.

I have three, works fine. Big boys are allowed toys.
 
I can perfectly understand the need to simplify a bit. Pick the one you like the best if you have to choose. Only you will know which one is just the one for you. Even if the Bugeye is the one to go, you can always be proud that you brought one back to life. That's a real accomplishment.

Always nice to be able to have both, but that doesn't always work for everyone.
 
Buy a lift OR clone yourself? The first one is legal and cost effective..... :laugh:
 
I don't think you are comparing apples to apples. Super charge that bugeye, then make the call. :devilgrin:
 
I know what I would be doing if I had to get rid of one... that Miata would be gone ! Sure they are nice cars & have lots of modern comforts, but the fun of driving an LBC & the smiles that it gives others far exceeds some of the modern benifits of the Miata, but thats me -
 
Just stop and think....

Somewhere in California you will get tied up in traffic at a stop light, and look around, and count maybe 25 OTHER miata's around you also stuck in the same stop light traffic.

Driving your LBC, unless you are on a tour or ralleye, not much chance of any other LBC's taking the attention from you in a similar situation.
 
This week my brother purchased a Miata
It only had 320 miles, had been in climate controlled storage since new, has every available option except hardtop, first year produced etc....still had inspection stickers on the tires.

Fellow brought the car brand new and "saved" it all this time thinking it would be worth something one day. Started out at 20k then 15k then 13k,
my brother gets it for $7500 This car is like brand new, actually beleive it could have had orginal gas in it.

Try that with a bugeye
 
I'd keep them both. They serve different "needs". Lifts are cheap enough and very useful beyond storage.
 
mightymidget said:
This week my brother purchased a Miata
It only had 320 miles, had been in climate controlled storage since new, has every available option except hardtop, first year produced etc....still had inspection stickers on the tires.

Fellow brought the car brand new and "saved" it all this time thinking it would be worth something one day. Started out at 20k then 15k then 13k,
my brother gets it for $7500 This car is like brand new, actually beleive it could have had orginal gas in it.

Try that with a bugeye

Try what with a bugeye?

Having it decrease in value that much while in storage?

Just checking.....
 
I just think nobody wanted the car, brother said it took about two months for him to come down from orignal price to 13K thats when hecalled him with his offer, which they took another two weeks to call him back.
The car is just like new, its been inside covered up, tires have no cracks, paint not faded, interior still has factory pull off stickers.

The Miata is a wonderful car for a dailey driver. They have a 50/50 balance, they have a drive line frame instead of a body frame, and with the package smaceng has I am sure it is quite a car.

For a driver there is no doubt I would choose the Miata. For the hobby car, week-end cruiser it would be the Bugeye.

I was just saying the Miata seems not to have any collectivity presently, that ever dime put into will not be returned, where the Bugeye the value seems to be holding well during these bad times and maybe gaining
 
Well, lemme say this. With the Miata, it may be perceived that one is having a midlife crisis. The BE on the other hand, looks like one knows and appreciates "classics". Kepp the BE, sell me the Miata.


BTW, nice Miata.
 
TOC said:
Keep the Miata, pay the higher license fees for a new vehicle, avoid cheap "antique car" insurance, drive something anybody can build by simply ordering parts.

Boy, the need for a sarcasims font has never been greater.
 
Back
Top