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1997 Mazda Miata track car    $11,500     Sold

Ottawa , ON

For sale is my 1997 Mazda Miata track car. 194k km. on the chassis and 90k km. on the 1.8L replacement engine from a 1994 Miata. The replacement engine had 85k km. on it when installed. All mileage on the replacement engine is from track driving, with the exception of driving the car to and from its winter storage (10 km. each way).

The car was originally from Florida and imported into Canada in 2005 when it had approximately 72k km. on it. The first Ontario owner used it as a summer car. As such, it has virtually no rust on the body or undercarriage. Bolts come out as clean as they day they were put in at the factory.

I purchased the car when it had 108k miles (175k km.) on it.

The Miata is a Leather Package version, with power windows, power steering, power mirrors, cruise control, Torsen LSD, air conditioning and tan leather seats. The A/C was useful when I was driving the car on the highway four hours to track events, not so much for a dedicated track car.

I purchased this Miata in 2013 and made the following modifications for track use that year:

- Hard Dog Hard Core double diagonal rollbar with harness bar
- bolt-in “permanent” hard top, and removal of convertible top to save weight
- 949 Racing adjustable end links
- Racing Beat Race front sway bar
- Racing Beat Sway Bar Brace Kit
- Racing Beat rear sway bar
- Koni Orange shocks with OEM springs
- RoadsterSport cat-back exhaust with high-flow cat
- All fluids changed
- New shift boot

The bolt holes on the hard top have been butchered. I recommend leaving it installed for track use. It would be difficult (but possibly not impossible) to reinstall the latches.

I made the following modifications in 2016:

- stripped the interior
- installed an OMP HTE-R competition halo seat with a custom seat mount
- NRG quick-release steering wheel mount and NRG steering wheel
- Schroth Profi II 6-point harness
- replaced engine with 1.8L engine from a 1994 Miata, as mentioned above

The custom seat base is set up for me (5' 9") and is not adjustable. With the OMP seat cushions removed, my helmet clears the hardtop roof with room to spare.

Beginning in 2016 I began to trailer the car to track events, because the OMP HTE-R is not very comfortable for long highway drives, as you can probably imagine.

I made the following modifications in 2018:

- ARP hardened wheel studs
- 949 Racing lug nuts

2021 modifications:

- new speedometer cable (old cable broke at the final track event in 2019)
- new Schroth Profi II 6-point harness (the previous belts had expired). Expiry of new Schroth belts is 2026.
- new Mazda battery

I change the oil and filter after every weekend track event (usually two competiion events, or one lapping day and one competition) and install new Hawk HP+ pads at the beginning of each season. I run distilled water and a surfactant in the cooling system each summer and replace it with new anti-freeze each fall for winter storage. Brake lines are flushed and new high temperature brake fluid used each summer.

I’ve done approximately 1,889 laps (but who’s counting?) as recorded by my AIM Solo II lap timer at Toronto Motorsports Park, Canadian Tire Motorsports Park (Grand Prix track and Driver Development track), Shannonville Motorsports Park and Calabogie Motorsports Park in 42 competitions. I ran the car in five or more competition events in 2014 – 2019, missed 2020 due to Covid, ran two events in 2021 and one track day in 2022. The number of laps is probably higher because sometimes the AIM Solo II didn’t record a track session. The car has never broken down at a track event (or elsewhere) and is very reliable.

I have all the OEM parts if someone wants to return the car to OEM condition. The tan leather seats show some cracking, but have no rips or tears. The carpet is a bit worn but still serviceable. The plastic parts of the seats show some sun damage. The front and rear bumpers are a bit dull from the sun. The replacement tan convertible top shows some minor wear, but did not leak when I removed it.

The front driver’s side fender had a dent that was inexpertly pounded out. It looks fine from ten feet. The passenger’s side fender has a smaller dent that has not been repaired.

The driver’s side window is slow to wind up or down. I unspooled the cables on the passenger side, repacked with grease, and the passenger side is much faster.

The horn on the NRG steering wheel works. The airbag on the OEM wheel is intact.

Included are a set of 16x8 4x100 Enkei Classic Comp wheels, 19.5 lbs., 38 offset and Toyo 204/45-R16 R888 tires, used in the 2018 and 2019 seasons. Wheels and tires are stored in my basement during the winter. Tires may have a few more track days left on them. For winter storage and driving to/from winter storage I have a set of Falken tires with approximately 5,500 km. on OEM Miata wheels.

The car is always stored in an unheated garage, summer and winter.

If you require any additional information, please contact me. More pictures to follow once I retrieve the car from winter storage.


Published: Apr 8, 2023
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