New owner of old Miata

[92 BB and B]

I just recently purchased a '92 Miata with 177,000 miles on it.

It is black with a tan (brown?) interior and top.

Although it has never been wrecked, it's has had a rough life.

A hail storm dimpled the body real good and put holes in the roof.

I lust leave the top down, since the rag-top is just that. A little more rain in it ain't gonna hurt it.

The engine is covered with oily gunk. I can't tell from where it all comes from.

Currently it's pickled while I am deployed to Afghanistan.

Just wondering if it's worth it to put money into it. The clutch and driveshaft were replaced shortly before I bought it. I rebuilt the brakes that failed in a most major way too. I had to cut the right/rear off and chuck the whole mess. At least it stops now.

The shifter well was totally dry- when I added oil it looks like a lot of metal filings floating around in there. Can that be removed or cleaned out?

Anyway- thanks for stopping by and reading my ramblings

[Winlowe]

Welcome aboard and thanks for your service

[Adam]

Fix it! Yeah its been ran like hell and bruised but you have the opportunity to build the whole car just as you'd like. I suggest a new top unless it can be covered up then that can wait, rebuilding or finding another motor and transmission, rebuild your shifter, refresh all the fluids, get the body fixed and painted, good tires and enjoy.
And welcome to MR.

[Adam]

Actually the suspension is far past its prime, too.

[— Phatmiata —]

Welcome to the forum, looks like you have a good project waiting for you when you come home!

[weeata]

Hey there. This is a Miata enthusiast community, so the general consensus is going to be "Yes, fix it up!" But, it's up to YOU if it's worth it. Price out everything that needs to be done and if you're not willing to spend the money on it, then there is your answer. If you do the work yourself (other than body work unless you know how) you can save a lot of money. Depending on where you live, Miatas can be plentiful and fixing up a car that needs tons of work is usually more expensive in the end than getting a car that's in better shape. The initial investment will be more with the car that's in better shape, but you will probably have to put less money into it down the road, especially if you have good service records.

[Adam]

^ That's no fun. Realistic good point though.