There is a small off-road gathering that takes place each year in the dry lake beds of central Oregon. By small, we mean 5,000 people driving 2,500 cars of the most unlikely models to conquer lake beds in the high desert of Oregon. It’s called the Gambler 500 and could be the pinnacle of out-of-water auto fishing events around the world. The first generation Mazda MX-5 Miata is a typical example, specially designed for this celebration of dirt, desert and cheap car deception. It’s also a very special vehicle in a special way, which we’ll cover in a bit more detail.
This blue bomber belongs to Tate Morgan, and he has seen places that a typical Miata would never reach. It’s not because of the booster monster under the hood – in fact, the 1.6-liter engine has more than 250,000 miles and is tragically in stock. As this clip from Hoonigan AutoFocus shows, the aged mill spends more time operating on two cylinders instead of four. The clip also shows that it doesn’t take a lot of power to have it highligths fun. This is where the suspension comes in.
According to Morgan, it was not difficult to redesign this Mazda as a machine to claw the desert. All suspension mounting points are original Miata, although there are obviously unclassified upper and lower control arms. The coil spring suspension offered decent ride height and travel, and the extra width required a set of custom axles for the rear. Tie rod extensions are also used at the front, allowing 14-inch spoked wheels with lean all-terrain tires to turn without any problems.
Inside, there is obviously a personalized safety cage for safety, and the spare tire on the trunk is an essential element for any construction on the theme of Baja. The protective plates protect the foundations and the blue exterior is correctly sketched with the original red color of the car which appears in several places. It might also sound familiar to many of you, as it was featured in Jessi Combs’ old show called The list. The combs drove the car in one episode; she also really liked the Gambler 500 and participated in many events. Or of course, the world lost Combs last year in a land speed record attempt, so Morgan considers the Miata to be extremely special. Well Named.
It’s budget, campy, and awesome in a way that we can’t describe. And when the 2020 iteration of the Gambler 500 lands in Oregon in June, it will almost certainly cross the sand with thousands of other crazy cars on a quest to just have a good time. Isn’t that life?
There is a small off-road gathering that takes place each year in the dry lake beds of central Oregon. By small, we mean 5,000 people driving 2,500 cars of the most unlikely models to conquer lake beds in the high desert of Oregon. It’s called the Gambler 500 and could be the pinnacle of out-of-water auto fishing events around the world. The first generation Mazda MX-5 Miata is a typical example, specially designed for this celebration of dirt, desert and cheap car deception. It’s also a very special vehicle in a special way, which we’ll cover in a bit more detail.
This blue bomber belongs to Tate Morgan, and he has seen places that a typical Miata would never reach. It’s not because of the booster monster under the hood – in fact, the 1.6-liter engine has more than 250,000 miles and is tragically in stock. As this clip from Hoonigan AutoFocus shows, the aged mill spends more time operating on two cylinders instead of four. The clip also shows that it doesn’t take a lot of power to have it highligths fun. This is where the suspension comes in.
According to Morgan, it was not difficult to redesign this Mazda as a machine to claw the desert. All suspension mounting points are original Miata, although there are obviously unclassified upper and lower control arms. The coil spring suspension offered decent ride height and travel, and the extra width required a set of custom axles for the rear. Tie rod extensions are also used at the front, allowing 14-inch spoked wheels with lean all-terrain tires to turn without any problems.
Inside, there is obviously a personalized safety cage for safety, and the spare tire on the trunk is an essential element for any construction on the theme of Baja. The protective plates protect the foundations and the blue exterior is correctly sketched with the original red color of the car which appears in several places. It might also sound familiar to many of you, as it was featured in Jessi Combs’ old show called The list. The combs drove the car in one episode; she also really liked the Gambler 500 and participated in many events. Or of course, the world lost Combs last year in a land speed record attempt, so Morgan considers the Miata to be extremely special. Well Named.
It’s budget, campy, and awesome in a way that we can’t describe. And when the 2020 iteration of the Gambler 500 lands in Oregon in June, it will almost certainly cross the sand with thousands of other crazy cars on a quest to just have a good time. Isn’t that life?