Really Ratty Rusty Ruby 510/miata

[Indy510]

Cut off the rocker panels and cut into the front upper frame rails to get the roof lower

[Indy510]

I traded the Miata taillights and $800 for these SSR mesh 16x7 and 16x8 wheels with new staggered Dunlop star specs 205/50 and 225/45

this is with 30mm spacers ... so a 16x8 +8

[Indy510]

[Indy510]

It's hard to see in the photos, but the bent out roof pillars looked really weird in the back. It was also impossible to fit a race seat in the car, without it hitting the roof / rain gutter area. So, I decided to cut the roof in half:




Weld through primer:

[Indy510]

[Indy510]

[Indy510]

I hit the center strip a few hundred times, with a mini-sledge hammer, to get the "crowned" compound curve:

[Indy510]

[Indy510]

[Indy510]

[Indy510]

[Indy510]

[Indy510]

[DRIVEN]

I just can't get over how much wider that MX is than a 510. They seem dinky when you see one in a parking lot. Don't feel any roomier from the driver's seat either.
This project is bananas and those wheels are pure sex.

[wayno]

There is more going on here, Bob3 put a 411 on a Miata and his wheels didn't stick out this far and this cab has been widened and the 411 was not widened.
The wheels likely play a role in this, or maybe it is the year of the Miata, or maybe Bob narrowed the Miata Pan, I know Bob did change the front to back wheel base of the Miata.

[Indy510]

The 1990's Miatas Bob3 used were 65.9" wide, and he used approximately 15x7 +50 wheels

The 2006 Miata is 67.7" wide, and my wheels are 16x7 +5 and 16x8 +8 (after the 30mm spacers needed to clear the brakes/steering). I think that makes it 6" wider than Bob3's cars. He didn't narrow his Miata chassis. I agree, my front tires are sticking out too far. I didn't realize most 16" wheels need spacers or low offsets to fit on these Miatas.

[noflers]

I don't think it looks too bad. You'll probably want flares to fix the wheel well hacking anyway. A true wide body 510.

[Taterhead]

^^ my thoughts exactly.

Sometimes I think you just like cutting stuff up and taking pictures of crazy shit, regardless they all look good.

[wayno]

There is an impressive amount of thinking going on here, and a lot more ahead, it would give me a headache as I like quick results.
I myself think the wheels are an issue, what is exactly hitting that you need the spacers?
Charlie used drop spindles on his 520 project, rather than using 15 inch wheels to clearance the lower control arm where it was hitting he shaved a couple inches off the end where it was hitting the rims, I mentioned this as an example of what was needed to use stock 14 inch 520 rims.
I myself made my own drop arms to end up with the same result(copied Mikes 521 drop arms but used 720 arms), Charlies way was way faster.

[Indy510]

It's hitting both the calipers and suspension parts. The front has a weird lower steering knuckle / hub mount that sticks down below the rotor. Most of these Miatas came with 17" wheels, but a few came with factory 16x7s. So, most aftermarket 16" wheels don't have enough clearance.