I don’t know about you but when I think of drag racing, I think of those long, skinny Funny Cars that shoot flames from their exhausts and run quarter-mile times that would embarrass most sports cars’ 0-60 mph times. What I certainly do not think of is a first-gen (NA) Mazda Miata. That’s why this 1990 Miata drag racer for sale on Facebook Marketplace is so delightfully incongruous that I can’t help but want it.
Seeing something as small as a Miata with a massive dragster scoop on its hood, a wheelie bar, and Hoosier drag radials is objectively funny, like seeing Danny Devito in Football pads. It gets even better when you see the massive Kaiser racing engine under its hood. The car is currently being sold as a roller, without the engine or transmission, for $22,000 but the seller will consider selling it as a complete running car for $39,000.
The engine itself is also for sale separately. It’s a 322-cubic-inch (5.2-liter) Kaiser racing engine, based on a Chevy V8 with an Aurora short-deck block, Bryant crankshaft, and Jesel Keyed lifters, among many other goodies. It makes 855 horsepower, which is hilarious in something as small and light as a stripped-out Miata.
Even without the powertrain, though, this Miata dragster still comes with a Chromoly 8.50 certified roll cage, a custom-fabricated Chromoly four-link rear end with Strange Engineering double-adjustable coilovers, a 40-spline aluminum differential, carbon fiber driveshaft, Hoosier slicks wrapped around beadlock wheels, a wheelie bar, and a new parachute.
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The build quality looks great, too. Without getting your paws on it in person, there’s no way of telling truly how well made it is but it passes the eye test. If you’re looking for a pint-sized drag racer, this little Miata seems like an absolute blast. Plus, you can buy it with its powertrain or without, so you can choose your engine.
I’ve never seen a Miata drag racer before today but now that’s the only kind I want to see.
