• AngryCommieKender@lemmy.worldEnglish
      3·
      3 months ago

      One of my neighbors jacked up an old school VW bug. The thing is the same height as my sprinter van, or 96" / 8’ tall. It’s totally ridiculous and awesome at the same time. He normally has it parked at his shop, since he built it as an advertisement of what he can do, so I can’t provide a picture right now, but I will try to remember to post a pic when I can.

    • Comment105@lemm.eeEnglish
      1·
      3 months ago

      You think these proportions are hilarious?

      I think they’re super fitting. The Miata’s proportions, not the Monsterlada.

    • SirDerpy@lemmy.worldEnglish
      131·
      3 months ago

      There’s two ways: Modify a Miata; Make something look like a Miata.

      Most would think it’s easier to modify a Miata. That’s sorta true. One could relatively easily replace the suspension, rims, and tires to make it look like the OP. But, the first time it’s off-road it’ll likely bend the frame.

      The frame needs to be reinforced to function off road. That’s generally a huge pain in the ass. It’s much easier to shorten the frame of an existing SUV or light truck then attach the Miata’s body and panels to it. It’s much easier to make a truck look like a Miata than make a Miata into a truck.

      But, this particular vehicle is very lightweight. Frame reinforcement might be much easier. A Miata hobbyist or Mazda mechanic would know because there’s likely only one way that makes good sense for this specific model. My best guess is that because the Miata frame needed very little it was chosen for this purpose. I’d guess it’s a modified Miata.

      Next time ask the owner anything. Everyone who owns something like this is dying to tell others all about it.

        • SirDerpy@lemmy.worldEnglish
          21·
          3 months ago

          I’ve enough expertise to be certain that would do the trick. That bypasses the frame modification for not even $1k.

          • grue@lemmy.worldEnglish
            3·
            3 months ago

            I mean, the “full roll cage” part would definitely put the total well over $1k. But I suppose you might be able to get away with just the butterfly brace alone if your goal was solely to stop it folding in half when it hit big bumps and not, you know, being safe or good in general.

            (Also if you didn’t have a roll cage then you probably really ought to have at least a hardtop – for both rigidity and safety reasons – and I believe that alone is over $1k at this point, too.)

            • SirDerpy@lemmy.worldEnglish
              11·
              3 months ago

              No one’s roll caging a lightweight, underpowered toy. If it was on the track or was an actual Jeep, then sure.

    • NineMileTower@lemmy.worldOPEnglish
      5·
      3 months ago

      I do not know. I was at Silver Lake State Park sand dunes in MI and there were a TON of crazy homemade and custom vehicles flying around the dunes.

    • Wogi@lemmy.worldEnglish
      4·
      3 months ago

      When there’s a drill there’s a way.

      And between “my buddy cleetus PAID me to take trash off his hands and I turned it in to a sick off-road Miata” and “I have mortgaged my home twice, my wife left me, and I owe 350,000 dollars to some shady Iranians on top of that”

  • Gaboose@lemmy.worldEnglish
    6·
    3 months ago

    I don’t know if folks still do it, but when Miatas first came along, some people dropped v8 engines into them (the nickname for those cars was “monster Miatas”)

  • exanime@lemmy.worldEnglish
    3·
    3 months ago

    I honestly like these “small car, big feet” style. It reminds me of dune buggies. Does this style have a name?

    Maybe in 2 more lifetimes I will be born rich enough to entertain a car hobby

  • graeghos_714@lemmy.worldEnglish
    2·
    3 months ago

    Someone in my HS back when put some small car body on a lifted Jeep frame. I think it was a Gremlin or something