20 replies to this topic

[Stetson]

Hi out there - I stumbled accross a 2003 Mazda Club Racer with the Hard Top. The car is intact and still stock, no modifications since the factory ones. On impulse, I went ahead and bought it. My 1st question is - what do I really have? and other than the obvious safety gear (cage, seats, etc.) what can be left on the car. Is the suspension and LSD from the factory allowed in the spec miata class?

I am a long time subaru enthusiast who is looking to get into competative door to door racing. I snapped up on a deal that was too good to be true - and it really is one of the 25 hard tops they made that year. It has the AC/Radio/power sterring delete, the hardtop and it is a really fun car to drive.

I am jsut trying to learn the ropes - I have been running track days, DEs and autocross for years and I am looking to take the next step. Any thoughts on the car I just picked up would be appreciated.

Thanks for your input.

Stetson

[Jim Drago]

Supposedly the subframes are "special" as well on those cars. they are the only manual steering NB cars i have seen.

[DES4]

They are rare, but they don't seem to command much of a premium when they sell, despite their uniqueness. Nonetheless, if the car's intact and relatively unmodified, and given the fact that better than half of the Club Spec cars I've seen offered have been raced and heavily modified, I'd try to avoid altering the car. It's hard to say what the actual value might be in a few years, but given that most were/are used for competition, there are likely fewer and fewer as time goes on. You can bring any 2003 Miata to that spec, so were it me, I'd find a lesser model to modify and beat up on. The 2001-05 VVT cars don't seem to be too common in competition for various reasons, anyway.

All were either red or white. I'd heard that the actual production numbers were closer to 50, with 25 cars equipped with soft tops (no hard top) and the remaining 25 hard top-equipped cars having the soft top assembly deleted. There might be a breakdown of actual numbers or a registry somewhere.

[Stetson]

I found the same information when I was researching this one. 50 were made, 25 hard top and 25 soft top with half of each made in red and the other half white. That would make my white hardtop potentially 1 of 13 cars built. The guy I bought it from couldn't give it away because it had no AC, no radio and no power steering. He said he couldn't get anyone to even drive it.

To me, that made it the perfect track car! It is completely stock, no changes to anything. I am trying to figure out what I need to do to it to make it a spec racer. I know it needs a cage and the safety gear - but is the suspension and diff it came with legal?

Still researching it. It is a really neat car.

[DES4]

If by "spec racer", you mean to make it a compliant SCCA or NASA Spec Miata, I believe you'd find that you'd be better off starting with a pre-2001 Miata for various reasons, the rarity and potential future value of having an unmodified/unmolested Club Sport Miata aside...

I really do not know of anyone campaigning a successful VVT-engined NB Miata (which includes all 2001-05 Miatas) in the Spec Miata class, in spite of the fact that they are legal for the class. Not being a builder, I cannot say exactly why that is, except that I believe the variable valve timing engine requires an entirely different approach, and consequently, no one has undertaken developing an engine program. Before making the commitment, I'd try and see if there's another class that the car fit into well.

The earlier cars (the 1990-93 1.6 liter NA, the 1994-97 1.8 liter NA and the 1999-00 1.8 liter NB) are all plentiful and cheap, with decent usable street cars commonly available for less than $2000. You'd wind up with something that plenty of builders can offer support for, and with proven results.

I do think the 2003 would make a good track car for HPDEs and learning driving proficency, but I am not too sure there's a class that the car would fit well into or be competitive in. Perhaps a builder might be able to offer better advice.

[Danny Steyn]

I learn something new every day! Never knew this variant existed.

[Glenn]

I learn something new every day! Never knew this variant existed.

Dealers had a hard time getting rid of tehm, I had a chance in 2004 to buy one off the floor for less than sticker but I was too poor to make it happen.

[Caveman-kwebb99]

_{Just recently sold my Club Racer on this site. Mine had the big brake kit on it, before I changed it out to spec legal. I am not sure if the big brake kit came from the factory or if the prior owner installed it. That car has alot of frame braces underneath that has to be removed, the diff in that car is Legal. There are several 01-05 being raced currently, and know of at least one being built right now by a very fine builder ! My Club Racer with an old Rebello race head made 125hp on the dyno with the new restrictor, what would it have made with a new head is the real question but I am guessing 126-127 which is right were you need to be to win. The biggest PITA for the 01-05 is that the ECU and ignition switch, key, and decoder ring all have to match so if you have an ECU problem or want to dyno test several ECU's you have to change out all those parts as they all have to match, and ECU from car B cannot be used in car A without all those parts being changed over. Started my racing career with the 01 and that was a very hard lesson learned, almost missed a race weekend after I had an ECU go bad, and didnt realize I had to change out all those parts. supposedly there is a way to sync all those components together and I tried it multiple times without success, so I had to buy a whole matching set from East Street.}

[Bench Racer]

_{The biggest PITA for the 01-05 is that the ECU and ignition switch, key, and decoder ring all have to match so if you have an ECU problem or want to dyno test several ECU's you have to change out all those parts as they all have to match, and ECU from car B cannot be used in car A without all those parts being changed over.}

Kyle, might this be good info to post under "Downloads".

I always find these technical bits interesting.

[Caveman-kwebb99]

Kyle, might this be good info to post under "Downloads".

I always find these technical bits interesting.

I suppose it would be be usefull to someone sometime, if I had a burning desire to go through a step by step How To. I have also never looked into how to put a download on the site. Took me about 100 tries just get get my avatar changed to "the sky is falling".

[trimless]

If you did get a good deal on the car I would consider listing it on Miata.net. The car is rare and you may find a buyer willing to part with much more than you paid for it since it is OEM and unmolested as you stated. Do some research on this site and decide between the 1.6, 1.8 NA or NB and find a good donor car and then spend your profit on converting to a Spec Miata. The 99-00 NB can be had for $2,500 - $5000 all day for a decent street car, even less for a salvage title or rough example that needs work. I have owned all 3 in SM trim and you can be competitive with any of them but the chicks dig the 99 model most for some reason..

[Glenn]

If you did get a good deal on the car I would consider listing it on Miata.net. The car is rare and you may find a buyer willing to part with much more than you paid for it since it is OEM and unmolested as you stated. Do some research on this site and decide between the 1.6, 1.8 NA or NB and find a good donor car and then spend your profit on converting to a Spec Miata. The 99-00 NB can be had for $2,500 - $5000 all day for a decent street car, even less for a salvage title or rough example that needs work. I have owned all 3 in SM trim and you can be competitive with any of them but the chicks dig the 99 model most for some reason..

Or buy an old Cup car, add a top and suspension and run in SM-5 or STL.

[Stetson]

Here is the kicker -not only is it unmolested but it has a carfax verified 7,000 miles on it. The car was never titled until 2011, the original dealer who had it kept it in his showroom as part of a race display. It was sold summer of 2011 for the first time, it only had 6 miles on it...then traded in at a Subaru Dealership this past fall. I bought it at the Subaru dealership a few weeks ago - it only had 7,000 miles on it and looked brand new. They had it in thier showroom and if I did not know it was a 2003, I would have thought it was a new car. It has new tires, belts, hoses and I just had the diff fluid, brake fluid, oil and coolant changed. Its basically a brand new 2003. I'll try to figure out how to post a photo and put a few up. It looks just like a brand new car. Most qamazing thing I have ever seen. My first thought was to stab a cage, seats and harnesses in it and then go racing! I have been doing autocross, DEs and track days for years and I wanted a car to 'take it door to door'. This seemed like a great way to get into spec miata racing.

[Caveman-kwebb99]

Here is the kicker -not only is it unmolested but it has a carfax verified 7,000 miles on it. The car was never titled until 2011, the original dealer who had it kept it in his showroom as part of a race display. It was sold summer of 2011 for the first time, it only had 6 miles on it...then traded in at a Subaru Dealership this past fall. I bought it at the Subaru dealership a few weeks ago - it only had 7,000 miles on it and looked brand new. They had it in thier showroom and if I did not know it was a 2003, I would have thought it was a new car. It has new tires, belts, hoses and I just had the diff fluid, brake fluid, oil and coolant changed. Its basically a brand new 2003. I'll try to figure out how to post a photo and put a few up. It looks just like a brand new car. Most qamazing thing I have ever seen. My first thought was to stab a cage, seats and harnesses in it and then go racing! I have been doing autocross, DEs and track days for years and I wanted a car to 'take it door to door'. This seemed like a great way to get into spec miata racing.

Just curious what did you pay for it?

[Stetson]

They were asking 11,900, I got it for 10,500 out the door. I thought it was a cool find - kinda like a new car for half price. Not really sure what something like that would be worth, but i liked the idea that it was rare, track oriented and in great condition. I did not buy it for collectable value or anything like that, I bought it to run it!

[Caveman-kwebb99]

IMO if I was going to build another SM, I would not want to start with a $10,000 donor. If you want to build an 01-05 into an SM there is an 03 model in Knoxville, on Craigslist for under $4,000. Add a hard top to it for $800.00, and you instantly have the money for a top notch Drago pro motor, and you are still around $10,000 plus all your other build stuff. If you want to build that $10,000 donor into a competitive car you will have north of $25,000 in the car and that doesnt count your labor.

Also to answer another part of your previous post the suspension that is on the Club Racer must be changed out to SM suspension it sells at Mazda with fat cats for $1450.00 plus you will need end links for another $150.00.

[Stetson]

Its a really fun car to drive. I had it out earlier today just cruising around - now I understand why miatas are so popular! I originally bought this car to turn into a spec racer - but now that I have read the posts and talked to some folks I might just keep it as is and buy a car that is already built as soon as I am ready for door-to-door. In the meantime I'll keep driving it as is, take it to a couple of Autocrosses, Track Days and DEs and just have fun with it as is.

I am not sure if all miatas are like this one - this is the only one I have ever driven but with the factory sport suspension, lack of power steering and radio - it is a raw little car that just feels like a classic sports car/roadster. I am surprised at the driving experience with the stiff suspension - it is just a fun little car. Just driving around town you feel like you are doing something special.

In the classifieds on this site there are a couple fo cars for sale that are already built that seem to be good deals. Maybe I'll keep this on the way it is and enjoy it and have another one for a track rat.

[DES4]

FYI; Any sport suspension-equipped 2001-02 Miata, as well as all US market 2003-05 Miatas (including base models), have the bigger brakes and extra chassis stiffeners/strut tower braces which have to be removed to become Spec Miata compliant.

It is usually far less money to buy someone else's completed car, providing it's not used up and aligns square.

[Stetson]

I guess my new plan is to keep the car the way it is and buy a miata that is already race prepped. My girlfriend likes it the way it is and it is a great street car to run around town. It is a blast to drive. Everyone likes it - its basically new and it runs like a top. There are a pair of race ready cars on this site, one for $8,000 and one for $6,700 - neither can be nuilt for that amount.

My Club Sport is 1 of 12 cars every built. that and a dollar can get me a cup of coffee...It is kinda cool thought to have something special like that and it would hurt to take it door to door and have the awful wreck happen.

Its a great car for around town, HPDE and autocross.

[Colin MacLean]

If it was me, I'd clean it up to look IMMACULATE (I mean A1 condition) and list it in the Miata.net classifieds. I would expect you to find a buyer very quickly for a good bit more than you paid for it.

Nice find!