If you’re torn between something small and fun to drive around country roads and something capable of handling the rough washboard fire trail to your lakeside cabin, fret no further. This very rad and very rough-and-tumble Safari’d 1992 Mazda Miata just might be the off-road sports roadster you’ve been looking for, and it’s up for grabs on government auction site GovPlanet.
With more than 278,000 miles on its odometer and a set of freshly cracked bumpers, this Miata isn’t an aesthetic match for Singer’s ACS Safari-style 911 wonder-build, but we reckon the fun-per-dollar ratio leans on the side of this beat-to-crap Mazda. Very little is known about this Mazda’s history, modifications, and mechanical condition. Still, we can’t help but see one hell of a no-worry weekend wilderness basher.
From the looks of things, this is your standard chopped-up Miata—emphasis on the chopping bit. When you peruse GovPlanet’s extensive gallery, you ought to note the little roadster’s ragged cuts in the wheel wells and rather low-rent Maxpeedingrods coilovers. Hey, that just means there are fewer niceties to worry about as you’re bashing through that desert pass.
The listing mentions the Miata’s rear-diff is welded, making this one of the more effective ways to slither about the sand and gravel. It’s also likely a bit terrifying when tackling tighter, curvier tarmac. Again, don’t expect any refinement here—this is uncut, unfiltered fun of the backwoods sort.
Based on a very short start-up video, the Miata’s 1.6-liter four-banger seems to crank and run just fine, though we reckon only a handful of those 278,000-miles were treated with respect. Buy it for what it is, and not what you want it to be. There’s no sense in purchasing this as a restoration project or canvas for a future build. Just put some oil in the engine, load up on water and beef jerky, and hit the trails, (mostly) worry-free.
