Catfish, best Miata donor

List of cars I regret selling.

1). 85 Mustang SVO
2). 94 Miata R

Ive owned 30ish cars by now. I have a DD plus 4 fun cars. I'm going to sell two. I'm keeping my ZR-1 and 996 because everytime I drive either I smile like a teenage boy getting to 2nd and 3rd base for the first time. I love both cars and the wife loves the 996.

I miss autoX and HPDEs. Both would be stupid to run hard from a $$$$ point of view. Miatas are perfect for abuse. The catfish is a Miata +++. So let's say I'm going to start saving for and do the fish. What Miata is the best donor? Any 1.8? 99-00 best 1.8? 1.8 with vvt 01+? MSM? Sport? LSD a must? 10th Anny? Spec ed 02? Which one has the best brakes and drivetrain?

That said if i go N/A after a while there is a good chance the fish might end up with a supercharger or turbo.

Or if I get suicidal I suppose a v8 swapped fish is possible.

What would you look for in a donor Miata for a catfish?

ETA for fully functioning fish if I start today = 12 to 18 months. Today = pick donor and make decision to sell 944 too. 944 v8 is still sorta under consideration. Budget estimate 11k realistically. Catfish more like 20k N/A but probably faster and cooler. Cobra kit.... not going to spend 40k + for something a catfish will devour on the track. Track 951.... I already have one Porsche I can't afford to break.

So Miata guys help me find my fish donor? Cash in hand date is 12/1 for Miata donor if you know of any specific cars.

Questions first:

1. Track-only car, or does it need to be street legal? (consideration for emissions testing, title, etc.)
2. If you definitely are going to turbo/super, plan on an ECU for tuning. Different engine configs are better/worse for boost and tuning. So, definitely boosting or no?
3. Is cost a consideration? If so, the cheapest donor is probably the best.
4. Do you intend to race in a particular class? That defines a lot.

Good questions.

1). Street legal fun plus autoX track fun.

2). Cost of new ECU and power adders after car is up and running and legal is the plan. Going to drive it N/A for a while first. Not only to budget for power adder but to get to know car before adding horsepower.

3). Sort of. I don't want a crappy 300k 1.6 with open diff when you can find rough 10th anny or rough body MSMs for less than 5k. I'd like a lsd best drivetrain I can get without going nuts. I will probably toy around in the Miata for 6 months and get things together before ripping it apart. If cost was no factor, I'd get a RCR 917 kit and find a real Porsche v12 for it......

4). With class, yes. In any class, hell no. This is just for fun.

does the catfish use the donor chassis for vin and title? If so, but a pre-96 chassis and worry about the donor motor separately. Otherwise, I'd be looking for an NB. Best motor options.

If you can find a rough MSM for cheap, that would be a good choice. Turning up the wick in steps is a known path for them. At such light weight, you might even leave it stock.

WTF? If the catfish is fried, put ketchup on it and eat it. If baked, put barbecue sauce on it and pretend like you kooked it right to start with.

Unfortunately, Something to consider:
https://jalopnik.com/texas-is-revoki...ars-1820177474

^Well, that sucks.

PS - Ketchup on fried catfish? :facepalm:

Under the new laws it will have to be registered as a replica of another car, and it will have a title based off the bill of sale and Bauer chassis number. It'll be the same as registering a factory five cobra kit but mine may be an old lotus replica or ginetta or something along this lines. It's a modern take on the d type or db2.

I guess those "small government" types in office down in Austin aren't really "small government" types unless the topic fits their political platform. No more Meyers Manx after 50 years on the road? smh