No such thing as 'too far gone'
Although 'financially inadvisable' is very real.
I picked up this miata in summer 2023 because I was getting burned out on my jeep project car. Over the last 3 years I've replaced:
Bodywork: Hood, fenders , nosecone, rear bumper, trunk lid, rear finish panel, tail lights
Mechanical: Headlight assemblies, oil pan, all shocks/springs, complete exhaust
Interior: Soft top, dashboard, seats, carpet, trim, door cards, steering wheel
By the end of 2025 it was a good solid driver, but had earned the nickname "Patches" from all the different coloured body panels. Over the last few months I've bodyworked it front to back and taken care of a little rust in the wheel wells, then painted it. It's all rustoleum "grape" with a glitter sealer and automotive clearcoat over top. Not perfect, but considering it's a garage job that only cost a couple hundred dollars, I'm very happy with how it's turned out. I think I'm 8k-ish CAD into this car all together.