Miatatom

Yeah, I built it. It was a lifelong dream to own one and then when I owned one I found out what a PITA it is to own one. A buddy that had one told me but I didn't listen. His had a real 427 side oiler. Mine was a breathed on 302 out of a SCCA American Sedan race car. They're hot, loud, no AC, no top, the fuzz want to stop you all the time, etc. It was a Factory Five with a bunch of mods. It started out to be a standard build but as I went along, I was a member of a forum http://www.ffcars.com/ which gave me a lot of ideas, so I changed it quite a few times. The rear of the body was lowered quite a bit necessitating cutting the upper frame structure and rewelding the supports plus rebuilding the door openings. I still have that license tag (65 Cobra) hanging in my basement. The guy that bought it from me only lives about 3 miles away. The only thing I didn't do was the paint. My brother in law shot it. I did all the body work, priming and prep though as well as all the assembly. It was a lot of work and a lot of fun. I was pretty proud of the finished product. The color was a Miata color, Merlot. The new owner repainted it black. He rides a Harley so what would you expect. Still looks good but I don't think it looks as good as it used to.. I was asked recently if I'd build another one for someone but my 68 year old back won't allow it. That's why I'm doing models again. If I was capable, I'd jump into to it but years of racing motorcycles, a broken back in 1989 (racing a go kart) and a ruptured disc in 2004 (throwing up) have pretty much put all that nonsense to a stop. I've had my fun though. PS I've got a great workshop now, but that one was built in my garage and in front of it at my last residence. Painted it there too.

I've got a Willys sitting on the shelf. You may have given me an idea. I really like it! What did you use for the roof and sides?

I've got a Xbox and Forza 4. My tag is Miatatom34 Maybe we should form some sort of racing league. The local SCCA used to designate a car and a track and have folks run it and they'd compare best times. Maybe when it gets cold, we could race once a month or something?

Wild! I used to own a 61 Falcon Ranchero. I lived in Oak Ridge, TN and it was an old Atomic Energy Commission vehicle. I put some mags on it and a C4 transmission. It was a neat ride. I want to build a replica of it some day.

I looked at all 403 pictures. That was a great show!

I second that, beautiful job.

Dude, that is really nice. The wiring is awesome. I look at stuff like this and wonder if I'll ever build anything even close. Something to strive for. Keep it up! Here's some pics of the 1:1 that I built a few years back. http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v705/baddogracing/Cobra/

They're not something that I'm in to, but some of them are very creative. I like the ultra low wicked look but I'd prefer if it shines.

Miata and beetle, apples and oranges. They were designed and marketed to entirely different demographics.

OK, well let's go with the most glaring figures. Solstice total US sales = 114,773 (production discontinued due to poor sales). Miata total US sales = nearing 500,000, with over 1,000,000 sold world wide. It's still being produced and sold and going into it's 4th redesign. It's the largest selling 2 seat roadster in world history.

Truck bed? Yeah, paint it black and use it as a bed liner.

Nice build! Your friend should be very happy.

I still like the 58 Chevy, if we've got to talk Chevys. The Solstice, I wouldn't trade my 12 year old Miata for one.

Maybe it's more popular than I thought. A local friend watched the first 4 seasons in less than a week to get caught up. I too like the 150 more than the "tarted up" Bel Air.

That is just the coolest thing. It's something she will remember from now on. Bet it makes you smile big time. 8^)

That's not Florida orange, is it? 8^)

Beautiful build! I love the pic of the kid standing next to the rail looking into the cockpit. It's as bad as heroin cause he's addicted. I sure can't get cars out of my blood. 8^)

Love the 57! I commented on someone elses thread that I almost bought a 1:1 57 150 just before I got out of the Navy in 66 but spent the money on an engagement ring. I told my son that story as we stood in front of one at a car show and concluded it with "and you know the rest of the story because here you stand". He just laughed and grinned.

Nice colors, but I would say that since I'm a University of Tennessee alum and fan.

Actually, I've got a bag of incandescent bulbs that we saved when we switched the house over to fluorescent so I've got quite a stash.

"Mike controls the business, but I control him". 8^)

That is a beautiful replica, Steve.

I still think Heisenberg is the name. I doubt few here know what we're talking about.

That is so sweet! I almost bought one of those when I got out of the Navy in 1966. Wound up spending the money on an engagement ring. I told that story to my son as we stood looking at one of these. I smiled and said, you know the rest of the story and here you are. 8^)

Why is the model so hard. I've been wanting one.