Extra Crispy Mazdaspeed Miata Gets a Second Life

Over the past three decades, Mazda's fun loving two-seater Miata has produced an army of loyal fans worldwide, but the owner of this extra crispy Mazdaspeed burn victim might just be the front runner for that communities "Most Obsessed." With almost 50 Miatas to his name over a three-year stint, the suggested title is assuredly deserved.

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In the Blood

Alex Giroux was destined to be a car guy based on a grandfather with an affinity for hot rods and lead sleds, and a father who inherited that car gene and owned over 300 different vehicles before Alex was even born, there was no escape. He adds, "being born into a family full of gearheads, I naturally picked up the tricks of the trade. I've owned over 100 cars, 97 ATVs, 15 dirt bikes, 80+ nitro R/C cars, and too many diecasts to even count anymore."

The Miata connection goes back to the mid-2000s, when his uncle purchased a '93 Mariner Blue Miata—an automatic model that, at over 6-feet tall, didn't generate any interest from Alex. Years later, a friend would go on to buy a Miata and wanting to take it for a spin, Alex realized he had no problem fitting his then 6-foot, 4-inch frame into the cabin. After trying to purchase his uncle's car only to find it sold to someone else, he set out on his own and found his first Miata. "Being a car guy, when you need parts, sometimes a whole parts car is a better bang for the buck. That first Miata soon tuned into two and escalated quickly in three years to 48."

Of the bunch, 4 complete cars are currently in his stable, including a wild, lifted 2005 Mazdaspeed model, and a pair of right-hand drive Eunos roadsters, one of which has been Mazdaspeed engine swapped. The fourth is nicknamed "Crispy Speed" due to its excessive fire damage, and it's got everyone talking, and gawking, anytime Alex brings it to local events or hits the streets.

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As Advertised

You know those random Facebook ads that pop up after Zuckerberg assumes what you might be interested in? Well, one day an ad post for the Hillsboro New Jersey fire department's page appeared on Alex's news feed and the image showed a house fire with a car still in the garage. "Being nosey, I'd seen the back of what I thought was a Miata and I went to a different picture, zoomed in, and sure as heck, it was a titanium grey Mazdaspeed Miata!"

A little internet detective work produced the physical address and Alex paid the house a visit. "The Miata was pushed outside with the garage doors boarded up. Seeing an 'unsafe structure notice' on the front door, I left a note in the mailbox and lucky enough, received a response within a few days. He was confused but ok with me coming back to look at the car."

To the owner's surprise, Alex made an offer and the two agreed on a price. "I brought my trailer to load it up and the entire ride home my father and I were just talking about it and laughing to ourselves about how it would start. We noticed the wire coating was just melted but nothing ripped off or was totally gone."

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Down But Not Out

The headlights were melted and caved inward, the mirrors looked like deflated balloons, and the soft top met a Thanos finger snap fate, but all-in-all, the car was still plenty complete. Alex notes that the burned aluminum and garage sheet rock that covered most of the engine actually protected it. Charred and littered with ash, fire retardant, and bits of its own plastic, Alex found that with the key in, the car still had power. What it didn't come with is the sound of a fuel pump priming.

"I started attacking every single wire on the harness—with nothing to lose, I was determined to get it going. Ten hours of pulling wires and re-looming later, I had a working fuel pump." The victory was that much sweeter when the car started. "The feeling was surreal when it fired up. After running it, I turned on the A/C and it was comical getting hit with ice cold pieces of sheetrock and busted glass!"

This is where the story could turn into an "ashy to classy" affair, with a complete tear down and restoration accompanied by a handful of photos signifying how close the car came to complete destruction, but that's not what Alex is after.

"I'm going to continue to enjoy it just as its seen in the photos. No washes, no body work, or any repairs besides mechanical items. I love the confused and amazed faces I get from everyone. It takes the show away from supercars when displayed, leaving most people speechless on what's in front of them. I plan to keep it (I'd like to say forever) since there isn't anything else like it around, let alone driving on the streets!"

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Having put the car back into service, minor changes have been made and most of what Alex found when he approached the car initially, remains. With most of the interior soaked beyond use by fire fighters, some of it has been removed and a new driver's seat bolted in. The original dash, which looks exactly like that marshmallow that fell off the stick and into the bonfire when you were showing your kids how to make s'mores remains, as does the soft top frame and roll bar.

Fiery Patina

The body remains just as Alex found it, with its crusty headlights and exposed hood webbing and the burned-out windows were never replaced. When the fire took place, a result of a battery charger igniting on the opposite side of the garage, the Mazdaspeed Racing Hart wheels were off the car and being stored inside the garage. Somehow they managed to escaped harm and have been reinstalled on the car. Other than that, Alex did an oil change, swapped out the spark plugs, installed an FM 02 signal modifier and new air filter, and replaced the melted coolant overflow tank with a Jack Daniels bottle. Minor maintenance bits for a car that no one would ever expect to see back on the road again.

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With a lengthy resume and a reputation for constantly making changes to Mazda's topless two-seater, we expect something will eventually happen with the Crispeed Miata.

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To that, Alex says, "If I was to modify it in any way, I would want to do an angle kit and hydro e-brake to be able to fully send it on a drift track. It's definitely a possibility for the 2022 season! I think a lot of people would enjoy seeing some wall taps with it…"