02-16-2004, 03:26 PM
Typically when someone asks this kind of question the first thing I want to know is what are their goals with the car. I think I have pretty good idea of what you want so here are some of my pics
Front Wheel Drive
Civic Hatchback with B18C, B20VTEC, B16A (or K20A2 =P)
The hatch idea has several advantages such as low insurance, lots of new and used aftermarket, and good gas mileage. Cost wise you'd make out pretty well there. You may not be so into Civics but there is a lot you can do with the car for cheap and still have a practical car. Through the proper channels, you can probably get an EK Civic hatchback for around or under $3k. You'll have to do some suspension work to get the Civic to handle competently though.
Integra GS-R
The prices on GS-R's are coming way down and in just about every category it is better than the Civic Si. More power, more torque, stiffer chassis, better steering ratio, better suspension, better seats, bigger brakes, etc. The major downside to the GS-R is that it has higher insurance because its a theft target. For me the GS-R is cool because the stock handling is good enough that I didn't feel the need to modify it until I was starting to get to an advanced level with my driving.
Rear Wheel Drive
Camaro/Firebird
Easily one of the best bangs for the buck on the market. The insurance is a bit higher on them and they aren't so practical on seat room but they don't have horrible gas mileage if you're a conservative driver. That said, almost no one with an F-Body is a conservative driver. The other downside of the F-Body is that since it is a large vehicle it is not so nimble but you already knew that.
Nissan 240SX
The 240 is still a pretty cheap car to get a hold of and has excellent handling and decent gas mileage. If you wanna pull a swap with it you can have a JDM front clip with the turbo motor (SR20DET) for $2000 which is hard to beat. The market for 240's has recently heated up because of drifting but prices still aren't bad. Expect to pay between $1500-$3500 for an S13 and up to about $10K for an S14.
FC Mazda RX-7 (2nd Gen)
Jack knows a lot more about this car than I do but right now they are a underrated performance buy. The naturally aspirated 2nd Gen has 170 hp and the Turbo II has 214 (correct me if I'm wrong Jack). Unfortunately the rotaries are not known for their gas mileage but you could pick one up for cheap.
E30 BMW 325
The E30 325 is a fairly quick car that is very plentiful and has a lot of parts for it. While it is not as fast as some of the other choices it would still be a very practical and fun car to own. Ask Chan, Nick, or Sean, they'll tell you its a pretty fun reliable car to own. Just make sure you don't get a beat ass rust bucket.
E36 BMW 325
The E36 is heavier than the E30 but it is still pretty fun and ostensibly handles as well or better. The big advantage of the E36 is that it has a lot more amenities than the E30 did.
All Wheel Drive
Impreza 2.5RS (98-2001)
The 2.5 is a fun little car that is both practical and reliable. While it is probably one of the slower cars of the group it is obviously great in the wet. There are no major issues with the car and the only thing I would add is maybe some shocks/springs and a rear swaybar (oh and an exhaust so I can hear the flat 4 burble).
Eclipse/Laser/Talon (Turbo AWD)
The turbo Diamond Stars are not the best on stock handling or weight but they have big power potential and you can get the handling where you want it to be fairly easily. If you want a mean drag car that can get around in the snow this would be a better choice than the Scooby. The Scooby has the handling advantage but unless you swap in a WRX engine the Scooby can't hang.
If you're even remotely considering taking the car out on track, here's my top choices for a street/track car. Not to say the other cars aren't good but these cars are the most ready to go out of the box.
1. 240SX
2. E30 325
3. Integra GS-R (tie)
3. E36 325 (tie)
For street/track/drag:
1. 240SX w/swap
2. Eclipse/Laser/Talon
3. Camaro/Firebird
4. Mustang
5. Civic Hatchback w/swap[/list][/list]
Front Wheel Drive
Civic Hatchback with B18C, B20VTEC, B16A (or K20A2 =P)
The hatch idea has several advantages such as low insurance, lots of new and used aftermarket, and good gas mileage. Cost wise you'd make out pretty well there. You may not be so into Civics but there is a lot you can do with the car for cheap and still have a practical car. Through the proper channels, you can probably get an EK Civic hatchback for around or under $3k. You'll have to do some suspension work to get the Civic to handle competently though.
Integra GS-R
The prices on GS-R's are coming way down and in just about every category it is better than the Civic Si. More power, more torque, stiffer chassis, better steering ratio, better suspension, better seats, bigger brakes, etc. The major downside to the GS-R is that it has higher insurance because its a theft target. For me the GS-R is cool because the stock handling is good enough that I didn't feel the need to modify it until I was starting to get to an advanced level with my driving.
Rear Wheel Drive
Camaro/Firebird
Easily one of the best bangs for the buck on the market. The insurance is a bit higher on them and they aren't so practical on seat room but they don't have horrible gas mileage if you're a conservative driver. That said, almost no one with an F-Body is a conservative driver. The other downside of the F-Body is that since it is a large vehicle it is not so nimble but you already knew that.
Nissan 240SX
The 240 is still a pretty cheap car to get a hold of and has excellent handling and decent gas mileage. If you wanna pull a swap with it you can have a JDM front clip with the turbo motor (SR20DET) for $2000 which is hard to beat. The market for 240's has recently heated up because of drifting but prices still aren't bad. Expect to pay between $1500-$3500 for an S13 and up to about $10K for an S14.
FC Mazda RX-7 (2nd Gen)
Jack knows a lot more about this car than I do but right now they are a underrated performance buy. The naturally aspirated 2nd Gen has 170 hp and the Turbo II has 214 (correct me if I'm wrong Jack). Unfortunately the rotaries are not known for their gas mileage but you could pick one up for cheap.
E30 BMW 325
The E30 325 is a fairly quick car that is very plentiful and has a lot of parts for it. While it is not as fast as some of the other choices it would still be a very practical and fun car to own. Ask Chan, Nick, or Sean, they'll tell you its a pretty fun reliable car to own. Just make sure you don't get a beat ass rust bucket.
E36 BMW 325
The E36 is heavier than the E30 but it is still pretty fun and ostensibly handles as well or better. The big advantage of the E36 is that it has a lot more amenities than the E30 did.
All Wheel Drive
Impreza 2.5RS (98-2001)
The 2.5 is a fun little car that is both practical and reliable. While it is probably one of the slower cars of the group it is obviously great in the wet. There are no major issues with the car and the only thing I would add is maybe some shocks/springs and a rear swaybar (oh and an exhaust so I can hear the flat 4 burble).
Eclipse/Laser/Talon (Turbo AWD)
The turbo Diamond Stars are not the best on stock handling or weight but they have big power potential and you can get the handling where you want it to be fairly easily. If you want a mean drag car that can get around in the snow this would be a better choice than the Scooby. The Scooby has the handling advantage but unless you swap in a WRX engine the Scooby can't hang.
If you're even remotely considering taking the car out on track, here's my top choices for a street/track car. Not to say the other cars aren't good but these cars are the most ready to go out of the box.
1. 240SX
2. E30 325
3. Integra GS-R (tie)
3. E36 325 (tie)
For street/track/drag:
1. 240SX w/swap
2. Eclipse/Laser/Talon
3. Camaro/Firebird
4. Mustang
5. Civic Hatchback w/swap[/list][/list]