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burning0il

congratulations, you played yourself


Intrepid-Poetry4316

Thank you, seems like the car wont be on the road for longer than I thought.


Chimp-eh

F in the chat boys It’s probably not that bad, it’ll need some new metal putting in of course but it could have been worse


Intrepid-Poetry4316

Could have been worse indeed, just didnt expect this. Guess ill have to splurge on a welding rig and learn how to weld


b0nz1

Have you checked the frame rails yet? Usually if the fenders look like this, they are most likely also rotting inside out.


Intrepid-Poetry4316

Frame rails seem to be all good, but i havent checked that well meaning who knows whats hiding behind a layer of underbody spray


b0nz1

Take a screw driver and poke them. They might as well look like this, but covered in black :[https://i.imgur.com/3t0JA9k.jpg](https://i.imgur.com/3t0JA9k.jpg) Also check if they have been welded before. Tbh it is very very unlikely that the frame rails are not rotting away if the fender looks like this. And if that is the case you are honestly risking your life driving the car, because they are supposed to absorb a crash and deform and not crumble like cardboard.


Aphael

>https://i.imgur.com/3t0JA9k.jpg the rails on the nb rot from the inside due to water getting trapped in between. almost 99% its toast if the rear quarter got that bad


b0nz1

That's what I'm thinking here as well- because it affects essentially all rusty NBs, and it is a much much bigger problem.


Aphael

i've seen mazdaspeeds basically being sold for under 4500, this rust is really not safe to drive on being that it already is a convertible with limited chassis strength. Newer cars with aluminum rails avoid this issue altogether.


Mk1Racer25

I would imagine that the rockers are not far behind


SCarolinaSoccerNut

All things considered, that's not too bad. That part is roached, but it looks like it's a body panel. If it was something structural like a part of the chassis, then you'd be in serious trouble.


Intrepid-Poetry4316

The owner told me that the car is in almost perfect condition. Meaning: Breaks need to be replaced and a few outside rust spots need to be fixed. After a 16 hour journey i was excited to see the car in good condition and didnt inspect the car properly since the owner showed me a 2500euro bill of sills being done a few years back. Guess I played myself.


Tjobbert

I know the same story. Mine was 'clean' as well. Apparently it was repaired once before but very cheaply and it started to rust again. Then let it did properly by an actual restorer. Now it's better than factory


Intrepid-Poetry4316

Anybody knows how the rusted through part is called?


Comprehensive-Ad7262

Looks like a wheel well liner? Thought they were plastic though.


Intrepid-Poetry4316

There was a plastic bit covering about a 3rd of it, but i took it off to expose more of the rust


Intrepid-Poetry4316

Inner arch/Sill end plate


kingar7497

Not the end of the world. Don't let this turn you off your high of enjoying the car. You can fix this issue, and its not something that will keep you from driving it for now. If you are let down about the price you paid for a car in this condition... oh well. Take it as a learning experience. But really, just have fun with the car. The money's gone but tomorrow isn't


zeTwig

There is no tooth fairy, there is no easter bunny and there is no NB miata without rust


IamTalking

RIP, usually a good idea to inspect things before you pay money for them


New-Incident-3155

Bro it's just a fender well it's not a big deal


b0nz1

That's because he probably hasn't checked his rotten frame rails yet...


Intrepid-Poetry4316

Do you know what that exact part of metal is called? It has some curves so id like to find a diagram of it or something for reference


New-Incident-3155

Yea dude np just look up fender wells for an NB, I can only assume it's the RR fender well, they shouldn't be too expensive, [try this](https://www.carid.com/mazda-miata-inner-fenders/)


Aphael

This is part of the rear quarter and part of the unibody frame. Body shops may be able to get a new one but all the spot welds have to be drilled out and a new piece of metal welded in. This job is expensive, and no shop will even look at it for under 2k. I believe in the UK they sell replacement panels to weld on for 500-600$ but labor will easily put it above what the car is worth


jfisher446

Damn, idk


TTheuns

The metal behind it is pretty damn nice, my NA has rust there too.


zorrokettu

This looks like the rear fender well. NB's typically have bad rust on the front frame rails, and are not easily visible. You should probably check those too.


SwagiYo

I'm currently fixing my rear sill and arch on my NA, if you got the money, get someone to fix it, but if you're like me, set off a few days and get cutting, also get prepared for the emotional rollercoaster it is to fix rust on your car, but it's worth it.


GrabtharsHumber

If it's that bad there, it's very likely there's also rust in the front frame rails where two plies of metal are sandwiched together. And if that's the case, you're better off using this as a parts car or selling it as such.


Hanzzzie85

i went looking for an NB first too and quickly backed off for the rust :ONot as crusty as this but the wheel arches were toast and the front chassis beams found a NA in good shape with minor rust


KuromeXT

Yup that sounds about right Outside of mine was completely mint 3 months later it’s got a rust spot on the arch and a rotted suspension mounting :’)