zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Buying
/
Here's A Miata In A Volkswagen Suit For You To Buy
Here's A Miata In A Volkswagen Suit For You To Buy-March 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:09:14

Image for article titled Here's A Miata In A Volkswagen Suit For You To Buy

What do you do with a patina-laden Volkswagen Rabbit diesel pickup and a mostly-complete Mazda Miata fall into your lap at the same time? You both it! It’s a Miata chassis wearing a Rabbit pickup hat! And you could

The pickup’s wheelbase is three inches longer than the Miata’s, but the width is basically identical. So dropping the body on the Miata’s backbone chassis wasn’t too difficult. I mean, it was difficult enough, but not impossible.

Image for article titled Here's A Miata In A Volkswagen Suit For You To Buy

Look at that. The engine looks like it belongs in this car. It’s a stock 1994 Miata 1.8-liter, and the standard 5-speed Miata gearbox remains as well. The 130-ish horsepower from the Miata engine is a whole lot more than the diesel Rabbit’s original 50-ish, so it’s more than enough to move the truck around. And with a decent amount of the original chassis cut out, including the rear wall separating the bed from the interior, it might be a good bit lighter than it was in 1980 as well.

Image for article titled Here's A Miata In A Volkswagen Suit For You To Buy

Dubbed the Maple Bar, this wild machine is rough and ready. Here’s what the listing has to say:

Rwd Body swapped Rabbit Pickup! 1994 Mazda Miata drive train. 1.8, torsen lsd. All miata sheet metal underhood and in passenger compartment. Uncut miata harness, except to hook up to the rabbit lights and fuel tank. All gauges work, besides fuel. Put whatever swap you want into it. K24, ls, turbo, supercharger? Awesome project, and people love it. Definitely not a car for introverts. Motor and trans are tired but runs great. Just showing the abuse of drifting and donuts. Willing to partially trade for a 400hp+ LS (iron or aluminum). Registered as the diesel rabbit, so no biannual smogs. Featured on Hoonigan, search for VW Drift Missile!

Don’t worry, I went and found it for you. You don’t have to search. The Hoonigan boys kinda sorta broke the car, but it seems to have been put back together alright. Just be aware you might have to fix a few things. Still probably worth it.

If you’re a California driver, you won’t have to smog this thing, because it’s old enough for diesel exemption. Just make sure you bring your sunscreen when driving this thing, because there’s no roof whatsoever.

Image for article titled Here's A Miata In A Volkswagen Suit For You To Buy

They’re asking $7,000 for this wild ride. Considering the amount of fabrication work that went into this, you probably couldn’t build one for less than that. Grab an LS swap kit for Miatas, and you’ll have a 400-horsepower Rabbit pickup in no time flat. Wouldn’t that be a sight to see?

Image for article titled Here's A Miata In A Volkswagen Suit For You To Buy

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Buying
For $6,000, this Mazda goes bah-ha-ha-ha-ha!
For $6,000, this Mazda goes bah-ha-ha-ha-ha!
Mazda used to say in their ads that while other cars go boing, boing boing, theirs go hmmmmm. Well, for today's RX7, that might need to be changed to hissssssss, because it rocks a Cobra V8. But will its price make you go hmmmmm? Yesterday's dropped not only its top,...
Mar 30, 2026
For $5,500, I am number five
For $5,500, I am number five
Patience is a virtue, and for the seller of today's BMW 535iM, who has been trying to unload his car for two years, his tenacity rivals that of the biblical Job. But, do good things come to those who wait? Yesterday there was no waiting on and fully 71% of...
Mar 30, 2026
2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302: First Drive
2012 Ford Mustang Boss 302: First Drive
Ford's last upgrades to the back in 2010 gave engineers a platform on which to build the best Mustang ever. So that's exactly what they did. Yes, the and it's epic. Disclaimer: Ford wanted us to drive the and Boss 302 Laguna Seca so badly they flew me to Monterey,...
Mar 30, 2026
For $45,800, yes, those are Sonata tail lights
For $45,800, yes, those are Sonata tail lights
In social classes, nobility implies privilege, and those of noble lineage are considered the holders of power. Today's Noble M12 is powerful, and would likely be a privilege to drive, but is its price too bourgeois? Founded in 1999, Noble Automotive follows a long line of British sports car makers...
Mar 30, 2026
For $9,500, cruise the land, crush the zombies
For $9,500, cruise the land, crush the zombies
Toyota has gained respect for the rock solid durability, and rock-climbing capability of its evergreen Land Cruiser models, while Tonka is beloved for its toy trucks with oversized wheels. Today's grocery-getter asks, what if you combined the two? There's a difference between kit car and component car - the former...
Mar 30, 2026
For $4,750, let granny go topless
For $4,750, let granny go topless
For a good part of the 20th century, and into this century, you could buy a new Buick Century. You can't any more, but today's Century is from the last century, and as it's a rare convertible edition, you might ask yourself, does its price make sense for me? When...
Mar 30, 2026
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved