Car buying dillema

[Matt Harris]

OK, if you guys had about $3K to buy a daily driver/beater, what would you get?

Right now i'm leaning toward something fun rather than practical. The Miata is in the lead, cheap to mod, great handling, convertible, and decent looking.

Any other ideas?

[eSpyder99]

DSM 8)

[Matt Harris]

Sorry, but no. :D

I want a daily 'driver', not a daily 'broke down in the driveway' :wink:

Besides, i'm not really looking for pure speed here, I want something that is fun to drive. That's why the Miata is so high on the list, I had also vaguely considered an old 1st or 2nd gen GTI.

[quattro]

A miata would be a blast. I would love to have one of those just to screw around with, plus it would make a great commuter for around here. The only thing I would be worried about is that it would become a money pit as I would be so tempted to mod it.

How about an A1 or A2 GTI? It would be cheap, reliable, and a total blast to drive around, with or without mods.

[WiggiE]

My suggestion, I guess because I'm a Honda guy, would be to like get a Gen 2 Integra, or old school CRX. All of those handle decent, are reliable, fun to drive, and have plenty of modding potential in the future.

[Jess]

probably the best car ever built was the 1985 300z NA. Come to mention it, i just happen to have one for sale.

Miatas are real fun to drive, but there's absolutely NO TRUNK. Keep that in mind. CRX's are pretty fun to drive too

[maxpsi]

Look at everyone picking cars similar to their own. I have to be original here. Buy a Camaro.

[AU RSX-S]

MIATA!!!!!!! I would for sure go with the Miata. They have great potential. :D

[Frosty_DUB]

Frostyhatches are pretty fun!

[1.8t]

Miata. Fun, easy to work on, cheap, light, awesome handling, easily modded(if you wanted to), and RWD. Stock engine takes 15lbs of boost, yes, 15lbs of boost reliably and all day(pretty much the turbocharged engine from Japan without a turbo, important to have a good tune though). Talk with Sam, he has a bud with a 16g on his Miata running 18lbs and he hasn't broken while still keeping stock internals. You could slap a cheap T kit on there and run like 6lbs and be ULTRA safe and have an absolute blast of a beater.

[ActiveAero]

I'll have to go with the Miata and CRX as well. Both are proven track cars. You might have to look a little harder to find a good Miata for 3k. Also the first few years were known for having some engine related problem (can't rememeber exactly). They were also 1.6lt instead of 1.8lt if I'm not mistaken.

You can find an awesome CRX for 3k. However most people buy them with the intention of modding them.

For a fun daily driver with minimal mods I would go with the Miata.

[Jess]

if you wanna take 'the road less traveled' what about an AE86? I think i saw one at a shitlot/junkyard on that road that runs parallel with wire RD that goes into notasulga. it was white, looked to be a complete car. maybe it even runs. I heard motor swaps are real easy and there's a ton of motors that will fit.

[Matt Harris]

Miatas after 91 and a half didn't have the crank problems. Plus, i'm not too concerned about the body, as long as ther eis no major damage, I can have it all fixed and painted a custom color for next to no cash, so that's probably what i'll do regardless. So as long as I can find one that is mechanically solid in my price range then i'm good to go.


Plus, I drove my buddy's 97 Miata this weekend (the 1.8, not the 1.6). It was slow, but it was a blast to drive, that just reinforced my desire to get one.

[WiggiE]

Frostyhatches are pretty fun!
Only the ones with blue spunk on them.

[ActiveAero]

I'll never forget my first auto-x event. This old veteran driver who had raced all kinds of series since the 70's took me under his wing and coached me as we walked the course. He was actually one of the main reasons I did so good at my first event. There was this S section (really tight right then switched backed to a left). He asked me what I was driving then said "come here, you see that line strait through those S's, everyone else is going to slow down and turn to go through them, me and you aren't, are cars will fit through the center, doesn't look like it but they will, suck it up and do it". "Yes sir" I replied back. Well I did my runs and kicked butt thanks alot to him. He asked me what my best time was and being impressed told me to wait right there. About a minute later this stock miata pulled up next to me with him in the driver seat. He tossed me a helmet and said "get it". He showed me two things. 1st is that I have alot to learn. 2nd Miata's absolutely are one of the best handling and fun to drive (well at least ride in) auto-x cars there are. Incredible sense of balance. He posted on of the fastest times of the day in a stock Miata without lsd and on street tires.


I always though as Miata's as a "girls car". Let's just say my views changed after that day.

[Adam]

I always though as Miata's as a "girls car". Let's just say my views changed after that day.

Wish I woulda heard that 2 years ago...
I had a choice b/twn a mint condition Miata and the J30.... I chose the J30 b/c of my that predisposition to Miata's.... And the fact that the J30 had the same engine (almost) as the car I really wanted to buy (300ZXTT) but, couldn't b/c of insurance restrictions.

[AU RSX-S]

I always though as Miata's as a "girls car". Let's just say my views changed after that day.

Wish I woulda heard that 2 years ago...
I had a choice b/twn a mint condition Miata and the J30.... I chose the J30 b/c of my that predisposition to Miata's.... And the fact that the J30 had the same engine (almost) as the car I really wanted to buy (300ZXTT) but, couldn't b/c of insurance restrictions.

I bet your kicking yourelf in the ass for that one. :wink:

[WiggiE]

But Tuschia, don't be so humble. You know the Miata would never drift like the J30. And quit lying about the 300zxTT, you didn't want one, you wanted and got the ultimate drift car.

[grizoove]

you would look hot in a miata adam. :P

[Frosty_DUB]

Speaking of miatas, i have liked them more sence wiggie and i "drove" one last year. hehe. A turbo one would be a blast.

300z's are gay.

[WiggiE]

Speaking of miatas, i have liked them more sence wiggie and i "drove" one last year. hehe.
I don't know what you are talking about. :roll: :roll:

I'm glad that cop didn't come around that corner a second earlier. :shock:

[Jess]

I took a ride in a turbo miata one day. That was the deciding point in my life to get serious about FI.

Stock internals, standalone, 15psi, fat rear tires 400hp.

Fast? Insanely fast
Scary? He's got the stain in his passenger seat to prove it :wink:

I met the guy in Charlotte, NC. It was about 3 years back or so. He was talking about opening up an import shop and he definitly had the funds to do so. wonder if he ever did....

[1.8t]

But Tuschia, don't be so humble. You know the Miata would never drift like the J30. And quit lying about the 300zxTT, you didn't want one, you wanted and got the ultimate drift car.

Werd to ya mutha

[insert_car]

i understand that miata's are fun to drive and rear wheel which is very fun especially in a light car like that,,,,,but....... i just think that is one of the ugliest cars i have every seen. not so much ugly but just stupid and pansy looking. miata's and del sols just have NO hope for looks. don't get me wrong i love speed but if it doesn't look good i will not drive it!

having said that i will have to admit that it would be the best buy...even though i wouldn't get it...lol

[grizoove]

so hows that alero mike?? :lol:

[insert_car]

so hows that alero mike?? :lol:

faster than your teg.....bwaaaahaaaaa! :lol: 8)

j/k...its boring....talk too me monday about it. :twisted:

[Matt Harris]

i understand that miata's are fun to drive and rear wheel which is very fun especially in a light car like that,,,,,but....... i just think that is one of the ugliest cars i have every seen. not so much ugly but just stupid and pansy looking. miata's and del sols just have NO hope for looks. don't get me wrong i love speed but if it doesn't look good i will not drive it!

having said that i will have to admit that it would be the best buy...even though i wouldn't get it...lol

I took my dad to test drive a GTI a few months back, he said "It's a lot of fun to drive, too bad it looks like a breadbox."

To each their own.

[insert_car]

i understand that miata's are fun to drive and rear wheel which is very fun especially in a light car like that,,,,,but....... i just think that is one of the ugliest cars i have every seen. not so much ugly but just stupid and pansy looking. miata's and del sols just have NO hope for looks. don't get me wrong i love speed but if it doesn't look good i will not drive it!

having said that i will have to admit that it would be the best buy...even though i wouldn't get it...lol

I took my dad to test drive a GTI a few months back, he said "It's a lot of fun to drive, too bad it looks like a breadbox."

To each their own.

tru dAt! ....but what can you expect from someone that drives an A4 :roll: :wink:

honestly though .... i got the feeling you didn't like the 337's that day at apr. just wondering.

[grizoove]

I like the cars mike, but "golf" has to be one of the worst names for a car ever.

[grizoove]

so hows that alero mike?? :lol:

faster than your teg.....bwaaaahaaaaa! :lol: 8)

j/k...its boring....talk too me monday about it. :twisted:

OH YEAH....well I got that non vtec conversion which takes out the weak point of the engine :roll:

plus it is in the shop getting the dent that the guy put into it.

[insert_car]

plus it is in the shop getting the dent that the guy put into it.

whaaaaa????

[Matt Harris]

honestly though .... i got the feeling you didn't like the 337's that day at apr. just wondering.

Nah, I love 337's, drive one all the time. Fun little car. I'm just not a big fan of silver Golfs, and I don't care for the wheels. That day at APR I was just saying I liked the 20th Anniversary GTI's better because of what I thought were cooler wheels and better colors. Jeremy just got defensive about it, and I had to defend myself. :P

[insert_car]

lol...yeah jeremy is very defensive about it. i mean, i am too cause i absoulutly love my car. i don't no why but the different colors make it look alittle cheaper to me. as for the wheels, i do think the bbs wheels look alot better than the OZ's ...plus they weigh less and are more expensive! :P

[linuxman51]

I always though as Miata's as a "girls car". Let's just say my views changed after that day.

Just face it dude... you're gay

[1 Bad 68]

Ok, I thought I really wanted a miata till I drove one today. Well, I'd still like to have one, but I'm trying to get myself down to one car, and I definately could not stand to have a Miata for my only car. That thing is frickin small!!! For my size anyway. Power was pretty sweet, it was a '96 model turbo charged 1.8 running a standalone. Good bit of suspension work done, pulled pretty hard and handled like a go cart. Fun cars, but not for me. What now? :?

[AU RSX-S]

4th gen Lude!

[Matt Harris]

Find a wrecked 2000 GTI 1.8T and fix 'er up. Should be able to do that on the cheap.

Or maybe an A1/A2 GTI with a 1.8T swap. That could be a beast, and fairly reliable at that.

[ActiveAero]

Find a wrecked 2000 GTI 1.8T and fix 'er up. Should be able to do that on the cheap.

Or maybe an A1/A2 GTI with a 1.8T swap. That could be a beast, and fairly reliable at that.

What about the o l d 5 cylinder Turbo Audi's? Aren't those basically the 5 cylinder equivalent of a 2JZ? My guess is we didn't get the turbo ones over here right?

[A418t81]

We did, problem w/ the 5 cly 20V turbos are that they are fairly rare. You can find them in early 90's S4's and S6's. The motors are strong as hell. A few guys have run almost 30 psi on them (pump gas) for over 200k miles :shock:

The Dahlbach Golf that has 900 and some odd hp has an Audi 5 cyl 20VT in it. Modded of course...

[1 Bad 68]

I'm keeping my car! 8)

[1 Bad 68]

I'm keeping my car! 8)


The blue one that is. :lol:

[Matt Harris]

Nice


So when you going to run 10's? :wink:

[Jess]

id hate to go shopping with you. you indecisive bastard. didnt we have a little talk about convertible 240's about 11 hours ago?

[1 Bad 68]

Nice


So when you going to run 10's? :wink:

http://www.alabamaracingscene.com/forums/images/smiles/nxsmile.gif