Is it a Miata? Is it a Beetle? It’s our $2000 Ch...

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“I don’t suppose I had finished an oil change once I began this construct,” admits Derek Penner, builder of this unlikely mashup between a Volkswagen Beetle and a Mazda Miata. “I grew up in my grandpa’s cupboard store throughout the road, so I knew the right way to construct stuff, however I didn’t know the right way to weld.”

A wooden craftsman by commerce, Derek showcased his handiwork on the latest Grassroots Motorsports $2000 Challenge Presented by Tire Rack and Powered by AutoBidMaster. Whole finances for every automobile entered within the occasion? Simply $2000. The competitors venue? Autocross, drag racing and concours judging. The occasion happened March 29-30 at Florida’s Gainesville Raceway.

The inspiration for this construct, although, dates again greater than a decade. Whereas visiting Flyin’ Miata’s Colorado store throughout a 2014 household trip, Derek noticed the Miata-based Exocet and Catfish automobiles in individual.

“Now, I don’t like the best way these look–like sharks leaping out of the water to me–however I knew I needed the load and the trackability of these automobiles,” he explains. “I additionally actually like rat rods–I like patina–and no person was doing a fat-tired automobile on all 4 corners again then. So, I needed to combine these two concepts. I needed to make a rat rod that might flip as an alternative of simply going straight.”

Derek already had a Miata and acquired a second one in 2015. Which one to construct? Destiny would reply that query for him. Whereas driving one, he swerved to overlook a deer and hit a fence. “So, we knew which automobile it will be,” he quips.

Now to discover a physique for the creation. “Subsequent,” he explains, “I used to be looking for some sheet metallic or a physique that had each doorways, intact bodywork, patina and wasn’t lacking something.

“I couldn’t discover something in even the $500 vary for some motive. Then, a inexperienced Beetle shell got here up for 50 bucks–no flooring pans, rear engine hearth. The man put it up as possibly yard artwork or scrap metallic, and that was sufficient for me, so I received it.”

Why is Derek’s Bug crimson? He’ll clarify that in a bit.

Images by Chris Tropea

His first problem, although: the right way to adapt a Beetle’s 95-inch wheelbase to the shorter Miata platform. Reply: He merely shortened the nostril of the Beetle. And to hitch the Miata’s entrance and rear subframes–or what was left of them–he fabricated a tube body of types.

“As I started truly chopping our bodies aside and dismantling the Miata, I gave myself a 12 months to get it on the street,” Derek explains. “I’m actually good at beginning tasks and actually unhealthy at ending them, however I received it on the street in six months. First drive was truly on my birthday.”

The automobile would solely run on two cylinders: Somebody had incorrectly set cam timing. “I couldn’t run the motor appropriately till I discovered that,” Derek explains.

Subsequent problem: junk within the gas tank. “In some way it stuffed up or descaled and had 2 cups of sand in it,” he continues. “I nonetheless can’t determine that out, however between these two issues, I ultimately received it proper.”

As soon as he received it operating effectively, he did what any wise individual would do: autocross it. And with that got here the chance to improve the automobile’s powerplant.

“One of many native guys, who loves constructing motors–that’s what he does for a residing, tuning motors–needed to construct a brand new motor to drive in his automobile,” Derek shares. “He mentioned, ‘Come rip all my stuff out and provides me 800 bucks.’ So, I received his wiring harness, ECU, throttle pedal, turbo manifold– mainly only a full powerplant swap. That’s my massive buy. All the pieces else was pennies. That’s what made it quick.”

Images by Chris Tropea

Then life occurred. Derek’s world received busy, and the Miata-Beetle took the again seat.

“We had our second little one in 2017, and enterprise was rising,” Derek says. “I constructed two companies, and mainly, I didn’t autocross once more till early 2024. When my cousin received again from school, he mentioned, ‘Let’s go autocross,’ and I mentioned sure.

Now to complete the venture. The inexperienced Bug was fairly beat, however Derek discovered a greater shell–the crimson one–on Fb Market for 100 bucks. And the identical one who offered Derek the drivetrain additionally had a greater Miata subframe donor for $200. “That’s the place the subframes and such have been swapped over,” he explains.

And Derek’s woodworking abilities? Try the entrance and rear of the inside: These wood panels, crafted together with his grandfather, recall these discovered on classic mahogany boats.

Images by Chris Tropea

Time, lastly, to go from Texas to Florida for the Grassroots Motorsports $2000 Problem Offered by Tire Rack and Powered by AutoBidMaster. Seems the automobile was quick, too: His finest autocross time put him first in school and third quickest general. Through the drag portion, the Beetle dropped a 13.379-second run within the quarter mile.

Sadly, although, the automobile’s final run was lower brief, and the workforce’s night time turned an extended one: About 200 toes into their final go, the automobile started to wobble and, after a brief slide, tapped the fitting retaining wall, knocking out a headlight and bending a management arm.

A wheel dolly helped the workforce transfer the automobile off monitor and behind the grandstands. Coated in sweat, filth and grease, they pulled a management arm from one other Miata and swapped it in. At round midnight, it was prepared for the Sunday morning concours.

Images by Dave Inexperienced (drag racing), David S. Wallens (repairing)

On the finish of the weekend, Derek got here residence with half a dozen trophies. His prime time in school on the autocross and second within the drag race mixed to present him the occasion’s quickest dynamic time. He completed second within the concours.

His rivals appeared to love the creation, too, awarding him the Challengers’ Alternative award. The ultimate prize? The $2000 Problem general championship.

“I knew the automobile was quick and I knew we had an actual shot in autocross, however I had no thought on the drag race,” Derek explains. “I didn’t know what to anticipate coming into the competitors, and I simply really feel tremendous blessed, overwhelmed and don’t have any clue how we did what we did in hindsight.

“I used to be actually impressed with everybody else’s builds–the standard of builds and the quantity of ingenuity. It didn’t really feel like I deserved any of those awards, and I feel, actually, successful general first meant quite a bit, however successful Challengers’ Alternative was virtually a tie for me. It actually means a lot.”

Derek Penner, second from left.

{Photograph} by Dave Inexperienced

Derek provides that this received’t be the final time you see his automobile on the Grassroots Motorsports $2000 Problem Offered by Tire Rack and Powered by AutoBidMaster.

“My rapid plan, no less than so far as the subsequent steps on this automobile, goes over to cantilever rear suspension in order that I can get the shock physique and spring out of the best way so I can stick 14-inch-wide race slicks beneath the again for autocross and drag,” he explains. Then he’d wish to push again the engine–possibly 10 inches.

“Lastly, it was constructed once I was 22, and I added plenty of additional weight, so I’d wish to attempt to go down and get a completely moist automobile within the 1500-pound vary. That might make me actually pleased.”

Feedback

I keep in mind standing on the registration tent when Derek and his workforce got here in and pondering, “this automobile goes to do nice.” I used to be very pleased to see my hunch was proper haha.

1500 lbs would put him in the identical vary as a turbo Exocet, IIRC. However they do not have doorways 🙂 I am unsure which of the 2 is healthier aerodynamically, in all probability this factor.

In reply to Keith Tanner :

I am certain you haven’t any reminiscence of this however you particularly gave me a tour of your guys’s place I am unable to keep in mind if it was 2015 it was myself, my spouse, my older uncle and our first born