Help me find a car that meets these ridiculous requirements

I recently sold my C6 Z06 so that I could buy my first house. I'm itching to buy another car but funds are limited at the moment. Here's what I'm looking for:

-Something fun to drive. Handling preferred over power.
-A car I can use in the winter and also rallycross.
-I prefer hatches or coupes. Number of seats nor drivetrain layout do not matter.
-It has to be lightweight. Definitely under 2500lbs, but under 2000 would be even better.
-I'm most likely going to completely gut the car, so that can be taken into consideration too.
-Something moderately reliable, or at least easy enough to work on with easily available parts (This unfortunately takes cars like a 323GTX out of the running)
-I'm not getting comprehensive or collision insurance on it so that means no cars that are frequently stolen (This removes just about any Honda from the list, although I would love to have an EF civic or CRX)
-The cheaper the better. Challenged priced cars would be great although I could spend more if it was something really interesting.

Cars I regularly search for on craigslist: Focus ZX3s, BMW E30s Suzuki Swift GTs, and Geo Metros

What else should I be considering?

Oh yeah one other thing... I want this car in either black or white. If black - it will get an identical vinyl job as my Miata. If white - It's getting a full Martini livery.

Here's what my Miata looks like:

And here's a mock up of a Focus that I put together in Forza 4:

Saturn, Neon, Sentra SE-R, Protege, [insert 90s FWD 4cyl econobox here] , Celica, Escort GT?

The Saturn will be the lightest and cheapest (under 2000lbs gutted is easy). The Neon will make the most power/be fastest in a straight line with bolt-ons only. All should be doable in your budget easily. Not sure if the Protege meets your body-style requirements.

All should be quite reliable and easy to work on. All should be less than 2500lbs. All should be equally competitive in Rallycross

240sx? rx7?

There are actually a LOT of cars that meet your requirements

Lots of good suggestions, thanks!

Saturns - I hadn't thought of that. There's a seriously fast FSP Saturn SC2 that autocrosses locally. I'll definitely look into those too.
Neons - I used to have an SRT4... I like Neons. It'd have to be a 1st gen coupe.
SE-Rs - I like the early ones, but don't care for any of the later cars. There seems to be a serious lack of these for sale around here.
Protege - I LOVE protege 5's, however they seem to be over budget or rusted piles of crap.
Celica - Another one I didn't of. Replace martini livery with the Castrol rally livery and this would look awesome.
Escort GTs - I like these too, but there aren't any for sale around here.

I've never really cared for the 240sx and while I do like RX7s, I am a bit scared of rotaries.

Other oddball ideas:
-Saab NG900/9-3s - There seems to be about a hundred of them for sale locally and they are DIRT cheap. I wonder if they'd be too fragile or finicky for the intended purpose.
-Volvo 242s - Not particularly fast, doesn't handle all that well... I just like them.

Miata.

If that's too cool for you then:

Saab 99/900
Peugeot 505
Add a Festiva/Aspire to the Geo Metro search
5.0 Fox Mustang

If you are replacing the Z06, skip the Saturns, the Escorts, and the Neons unless you plan on multiple upgrades. All of them can be fun, but in stock form they will feel like a Vespa compared to a Z06. On the reliability request, I would skip the Volvo and Saab. They're not terrible, but not great.

E30s are plentiful and relatively cheap. They handle very well in box-stock form and can be made better fairly easily. Not sure how they play in the insurance category. Gutted they are below 2500 easily.

Um... I'll say it - another Miata?

Many of Mazda's offerings are surprisingly torquey and can be made to handle without too much investment.

I am a big fan of the B13 (91-94) Sentras, specifically the SE-R. 140 hp (which can turn into 175 hp pretty easily) and they are just a sport-spring package away from handling very well. At the time, Car and Driver magazine put them on the same level as the E36 including fit-and-finish and overall performance. They basically called it the Japanese E36. I was slightly disappointed with the shifter throw on the ones I drove, but there is probably a shifter kit for that. The overall driving position is a bit "sedan" but the handling and feel will make you forget it.

I would skip the B14. The B15 (2000-2006) was a fine car, especially in the SE-R spec V trim, but keep in mind that it was panned hard by critics as having a relatively floppy unibody. The bonus is the power bump from the QR25 over the earlier SR20 engine, but the SR20 is a paradigm of reliability.

Have you considered something like a C4? Parts are dirt cheap, reliability is above average, and they don't cost too much. Its something with which you're familiar, and LT1 models get very decent mileage (25mpg+ if you're careful)

The other big thing I want to know is BUDGET. Are we looking at $2000 or $20,000?

EvanB wrote: 5.0 Fox Mustang

Ditto. Dime a dozen. Everyone is chasing the SN94 5.0L, which leaves clean 5.0 Foxes in the bargain bin.

Fox-body handling goodies are plentiful, wheels are common and cheap, reliable live-axle setup that uses parts from 1962.... good choice.

I'm not looking for something to directly replace the z06. I've come to the realization that it's going to be a LONG time before I can buy another car that's in the same league as the C6Z was. It was a dream car of mine so I bought it, drove it for a year and a half, and sold it for exactly what I had paid for it. I got it out of my system and now I'm being responsible and buying a house haha.

Another Miata is definitely not out of the question. It's just that my current Miata is too nice to rallycross, so I'd have to find a real toilet of a car that I wouldn't mind beating on. I've already got a hardtop so I can toss that onto another Miata and run it.

I have thought about a C4 (or a 5.0 Mustang notch), but the idea was to park the Miata for the winter and drive future car #2 instead. I couldn't really do that with another corvette.

As for budget - around $2000 or so would be nice. Technically I could go much more than that, but it would have to be something really special.

Yavuz wrote: Another Miata is definitely not out of the question. It's just that my current Miata is too nice to rallycross, so I'd have to find a real toilet of a car that I wouldn't mind beating on. I've already got a hardtop so I can toss that onto another Miata and run it.

You don't really need an toilet of a Miata to beat on at rallycross. Mine is nice for the area (no rust) but it does have a few dents. I went south to get it so I got a good deal on a nice car.

If you do get a Miata to rallycross you can copy my setup. Used Mazdaspeed Miata shocks and struts with NB tophats and a LSD makes for a nice (and cheap) setup.

Another option is a RX7, great for rallycross and more room than the Miata.

Yavuz wrote: Protege - I LOVE protege 5's, however they seem to be over budget or rusted piles of crap.

If you entertain Saturns, here is your P5 alternative (300+ lbs lighter, similar power), without any [body] rust. A lot of those for sale will still be piles of crap though - but that's an owner neglect issue.

(EDIT: Miata is rallyx legal, see below) I don't think I would want to rally-x a C4, at least not in this region.

All of the FWD offerings stock, or with basic suspension work will be comparable in rallyx format (and on the track for that matter). Without an engine swap, none really have any serious advantage over any of the other ones, except the SE-R which has an LSD (although whether or not it works at this point is another issue).

I think a rallyx fox-body would rock. I want to drive one.

The RX7 is a great rallx car also, although I'm not sure I would classify it as reliable (yes, some are for sure)

Is an E36 ti hatch too heavy?

Also, nobody has mentioned the Tiburon: tough to kill, not exactly exotically priced, and I think upgrades are out there (but sometimes pretty far out there, meaning on the other side of the Pacific.)

ProDarwin wrote: FYI a Miata is not SCCA Rallycross legal, although some regions will allow it. I don't think I would want to rally-x a C4, at least not in this region.

A Miata is most definitely SCCA Rallycross legal with a OEM hardtop.

EvanB wrote:

ProDarwin wrote: FYI a Miata is not SCCA Rallycross legal, although some regions will allow it. I don't think I would want to rally-x a C4, at least not in this region.

A Miata is most definitely SCCA Rallycross legal with a OEM hardtop.

Ah, you are correct. I am mistaken.

6.1 ELIGIBLE VEHICLES A RallyCross event is open to any fixed‐roof production based vehicle (including convertibles with a factory hardtop attached, targa‐types with factory panel in place, t‐tops with factory panels in place) that can pass safety inspection. If the Event Chairman after consultation with the Event Safety Steward determines at his discretion that a vehicle cannot safely negotiate the course, it may be excluded.

For some reason I was dwelling on the "fixed roof" part. Now I want a rallyx Miata. Dammit.

They are fun

XR4Ti, gutted you'll be in the 2500lb territory, I've seen many for sale recently with the right suspension (koni yellows), transmission (T5), fuel (MS or big VAM & injectors), turbo (T3/T4 Hybrid or SC), intercooler (front-mount), brakes (TurboCoupe rears or SVT Focus), wheels (16"-17"), tires upgrades, that alone is worth 2-3x what the seller is selling the car for (I've seen the above for clean examples run around $3-6k but you must get on MerkurSport or Merkur Forums to find them). If you can deal with an odd-looking RWD IRS turbo 4-banger hatchback from the 80s, you'll have fun...

A GC Impreza 2.5RS almost perfectly meets your requirements, although the weight is a bit over. Dunno if they sold that model in the US. There are always the 4-doors and wagons.

Didn't think of Merkurs. I have always liked those... how is parts availability? I don't think I've seen one on the roads for years now.

I'd definitely do an MK1/2 GTI, but I've seen prices for good ones really climb the last few years.

A GC Subaru would be perfect, but yeah the 2.5RS coupe is the one I would want. There are three for sale on craigslist right now - One is $8500, the other is $5,500, and the third is $1000 (but it has 250k miles and isnt running). I like them, but don't like them enough to spend more than $2k.

Yavuz wrote: -Volvo 242s - Not particularly fast, doesn't handle all that well... I just like them.

This - head over to Turbobricks and search +T (add turbo to NA motor)

Might not make your 2500 lb target but close.

I was going to say WRX hatch until I saw your weight requirement.

Yavuz wrote: A GC Subaru would be perfect, but yeah the 2.5RS coupe is the one I would want. There are three for sale on craigslist right now - One is $8500, the other is $5,500, and the third is $1000 (but it has 250k miles and isnt running). I like them, but don't like them enough to spend more than $2k.

The 2-doors are actually the exact same length as the 4-doors and there is very little weight difference...something to think about.

+1 for Celica.

+1 for Escort GT. (IF you can't find an EGT, a 1st gen Sephia, Tracer LTS, Protege LX is the same car. 323 Hatch would be good as well, and faster than the other options if you're ok with doing a weekend swap to the BP)

MX6/Probe. These cars are largely unloved by the general public for some reason and as of late, are CHEAPER than Escorts and Proteges, despite being MUCH superior cars in every possible way. An MX6 would look INCREDIBLE in Martini livery.

Dodge Omni. Get a turbo one. Have fun.

Saab. I bet you could easily get a 900 Turbo under 2500lbs. Saabs are REALLY cheap right now because the company is gone. Parts supply for the older ones is completely unaffected.

Corollas. You won't find a RWD corolla worth a damn for $2000, but the FWD ones can be VERY fun. FX16 GTS, AE92 GTS, or even the AE101/111 chassis cars (mid 90s) can be a blast. They're light, can handle very well, and enjoy having the piss beat out of them. Also see: Geo Prizm GSi.

Geo Storm GSi. Nobody wants them. Might be hard to find one that hasn't returned to earth, but they're fun, and cheap as hell.

Mitsubishi Mirage with the 1.8. Light as hell, willing engine, cheap. Don't bother with the 1.5. Internet says the early 90s ones with the 1.8 weigh less than 2100lbs stock. I briefly looked into this as a potential Hail Mary against the ST-class Spec Civic brigade.

If you're going to throw in the mirage, throw in the 2nd gen LC Accent. Just get an 02-later with the 1.6 Alpha with 2 cams and more than 100hp.

Bobzilla wrote: If you're going to throw in the mirage, throw in the 2nd gen LC Accent. Just get an 02-later with the 1.6 Alpha with 2 cams and more than 100hp.

How much did those make, Bob?

I guess i forgot they were similar cars.

Yavuz wrote: Didn't think of Merkurs. I have always liked those... how is parts availability? I don't think I've seen one on the roads for years now. I'd definitely do an MK1/2 GTI, but I've seen prices for good ones really climb the last few years. A GC Subaru would be perfect, but yeah the 2.5RS coupe is the one I would want. There are three for sale on craigslist right now - One is $8500, the other is $5,500, and the third is $1000 (but it has 250k miles and isnt running). I like them, but don't like them enough to spend more than $2k.

The non-running one can be made to run again with a Legacy or Forester motor. They are the same Phase II single cam motors.

That's what I did with my RS and I'm very impressed with the car. I only have $1,500 into it.

IMO it looks sweet compared to some of the other cars suggested here. Selling it when you want to upgrade would be easier as well. The young ricer kids love them to death. Mines a 4 door because I have kids and I like the extra space. My other suggestions would be an E30 or E36 BMW.

An RS with no motor would be a jackpot. I've been keeping my eyes out for one.