Yahoo Autos Junkyard Gem: 1992 Mazda MX-5 Miata
The Mazda MX-5 Miata has been with us for nearly 35 years now, giving the world what it had lacked for so long: a two-seat convertible that was just as affordable and fun as the MGB or Fiat 124 Sport Spider had been… but without the horrid reliability and leaky tops of those cars. Intact Miatas haven't been easy to find in the car graveyards I frequent, because worn-out ones tend to end up in the hands of racers before they can reach your local Ewe Pullet. I run across plenty of picked-clean and/or crashed-beyond-recognition Miatas during my junkyard travels, but today's '92 in a Denver self-service yard is unusually complete and un-smashed.
It's clear from the toasted top that this car spent many years parked beneath the fierce High Plains sun.
The odometer shows nearly 225k miles. I think this car spent a couple of decades as a reliable daily commuter, then got parked in a driveway or yard when something broke.
If you're looking for a Miata differential in the junkyard, an automatic-equipped car is your best bet for a not-so-thrashed one. This car has the five-speed manual, like nearly all early MX-5s, but some racer is certain to buy the diff anyway.
This 1.6-liter DOHC four-cylinder made 116 horsepower and 100 pound-feet. Members of this engine family went under the hoods of everything from Ford Escorts to Kia Rios.
Junkyard employees couldn't get the trunk open quickly enough, so a bit of force had to be applied.
