odd what car thread

a friend is considering getting a car for hpde's and maybe some light autocross. so far options include the following:

fox body mustang (various years mostly 80's) with a 302 fox body svo mustang (80 something?) misubishi 3000 gt mazda mx6 2nd gen rx7 4th gen v6 camaro vw scirrocco bmw 325 (e30) bmw 318 (e36)

all of these possibilities are under $2K (some WAY under). requirements are:

easy start up with replacing few items with mostly stock parts good parts availability at reasonable prices for suspension upgrades and tires durable enough to last several HPDE weekends without significant wrenching the ability to go fast enough to be safe in an HPDE 3 (eventually)

of these options which is the most preferable to the group?

Mustangs and F-bodies are going to be the cheapest of the bunch. They are also the least sophisticated if that makes a difference. Sounds like your friend wants to play with hard top RWD cars for the most part. What does your friend drive now, and why can't he/she start with it?

Let me summerize the next 45 posts:

Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata

I'm curious how good a FWD 3000gt would be, They are cheap and secsay

I don't think you can get an SVO 'stang for under 2k.

The only ones I see on that list that come anywhere close to answering the question are the MX6 (if its a 2nd gen , at least for the autocross part), the scirocco, and the bmws.

2nd gen MX6 is arguably the best bang for the buck choice there, looking at power, potential, reliability and cost. Add 2nd gen Probe GT. It's the same car.

Don't bother with the 4 cylinder cars. They cost the same, are less reliable, and WAYYYYYYYYY slower. No big gas mileage advantage, either.

My budget mods would be: Gut it, intake, header, exhaust, MX3 GS flywheel, MX3 GS transmission, suspension of your choice.

Blitzed306 wrote: I'm curious how good a FWD 3000gt would be, They are cheap and secsay

One word. Slow.

mndsm wrote:

Blitzed306 wrote: I'm curious how good a FWD 3000gt would be, They are cheap and secsay

One word. Slow.

This. I think the extent of their usefulness is serving as a more modern IROC-Z camaro. Dress in slacks, an untucked linen button down, gold chains, rayban shades, and cruise down the blvd. You'll get all kinds of people trying to sell you coke.

thanks for the responses.

jrg 77. he currently drives a toyota 4x4 truck so that is why we are looking for something to start with. and simple is very good since he doesnt have any real car building experience so far and will be doing al of the maintenance on this one himself (with an occasional hand)...... but in my yard!

miatas are intentionally left off the list for several reasons. most notably, that he doesnt want a convertible for this activity. i cant blame him. i like having a bonnett myself!

boxhead tim. if you saw the SVO listing in question you would know why it is under $2K! its UUUUUUGLYYYYYYYYYYYY!

so far do i see two positive votes for the mx6 and 2 for a mustang of some sort?

Second Gen RX7 gets my vote!

Rx7 and the BMWs look good to me

In that price range you can find beater E36 6cylinder cars.

^ This!!

CL is brimming with cheap 6 cylinder E36s. 4 cylinder models are lighter. . . but slow.

If I could find a V8 fox body under $2K in this area that could reasonably be put to track use...I'd probably own it.

However, they aren't out there (again...around here).

I say this because you mention you want something reliable and pretty close to ready to go.

Clem

ClemSparks wrote: If I could find a V8 fox body under $2K in this area that could reasonably be put to track use...I'd probably own it. However, they aren't out there (again...around here). I say this because you mention you want something reliable and pretty close to ready to go. Clem

maybe my new career should be trafficking $2k fox bodies to middle america!

Yeah, for some reason, the m/w fox bodies have skyrocketed in price. You can barely find a decent shell for 2 grand anymore let alone a running one.

the only 4 cylinder E36s I would touch are the Z3 and the 318ti.. the rest are saddled with additional weight. The 318ti sits about a second behind the 325i in zero to 60 and a second ahead of the 318i

I'd stay away from any SVO Mustang that has a 302 in it. The SVO Zealots will hunt you out to put your head on a pike for swapping out the turbo 2.3L, even if you bought it that way.

Blitzed306 wrote: I'm curious how good a FWD 3000gt would be, They are cheap and secsay

Run far far away. I hated working on my friends although after being stripped it was fairly fun.

itsarebuild wrote:

ClemSparks wrote: If I could find a V8 fox body under $2K in this area that could reasonably be put to track use...I'd probably own it. However, they aren't out there (again...around here). I say this because you mention you want something reliable and pretty close to ready to go. Clem

maybe my new career should be trafficking $2k fox bodies to middle america!

I'm in...you find 'em, I'll drive 'em and sell 'em. We can work out an arrangement to split the profits fairly. And yes...I'm very...very...serious.

Clem

ReverendDexter wrote: I'd stay away from any SVO Mustang that has a 302 in it. The SVO Zealots will hunt you out to put your head on a pike for swapping out the turbo 2.3L, even if you bought it that way.

I'm pretty sure he meant to format that as a bullet point list and the format didn't come through in the post.

I think it was supposed to be (something along the lines of):

-A fox body mustang with a 302

-SVO fox body mustang

I don't think he meant "A 302 SVO Fox body Mustang."

But you are very right...I would not want to own an SVO with a V8 for that exact reason.

Clem

ClemSparks wrote:

ReverendDexter wrote: I'd stay away from any SVO Mustang that has a 302 in it. The SVO Zealots will hunt you out to put your head on a pike for swapping out the turbo 2.3L, even if you bought it that way.

I'm pretty sure he meant to format that as a bullet point list and the format didn't come through in the post. I think it was supposed to be (something along the lines of): -A fox body mustang with a 302 -SVO fox body mustang I don't think he meant "A 302 SVO Fox body Mustang." But you are very right...I would not want to own an SVO with a V8 for that exact reason. Clem

yep that is what i meant. me type gud!

ClemSparks wrote:

itsarebuild wrote:

ClemSparks wrote: If I could find a V8 fox body under $2K in this area that could reasonably be put to track use...I'd probably own it. However, they aren't out there (again...around here). I say this because you mention you want something reliable and pretty close to ready to go. Clem

maybe my new career should be trafficking $2k fox bodies to middle america!

I'm in...you find 'em, I'll drive 'em and sell 'em. We can work out an arrangement to split the profits fairly. And yes...I'm very...very...serious. Clem

around here there seems to be a running $1500 mustang with mismatched tires and odd colored body panels in every other mobile home park. if a roller fetches $2k where you are you may be on to something!

itsarebuild wrote:

ClemSparks wrote:

itsarebuild wrote:

ClemSparks wrote: If I could find a V8 fox body under $2K in this area that could reasonably be put to track use...I'd probably own it. However, they aren't out there (again...around here). I say this because you mention you want something reliable and pretty close to ready to go. Clem

maybe my new career should be trafficking $2k fox bodies to middle america!

I'm in...you find 'em, I'll drive 'em and sell 'em. We can work out an arrangement to split the profits fairly. And yes...I'm very...very...serious. Clem

around here there seems to be a running $1500 mustang with mismatched tires and odd colored body panels in every other mobile home park. if a roller fetches $2k where you are you may be on to something!

How hard is it to get Canadian cars to America?

There's lots up in Vancouver for sub $2k. How about $550 for a LX hatch that runs?