So, I'm currently closing on a house. To be honest, I'm getting a phenomenal deal on it. It took me 9 months of bidding to win a house under the Good Neighbor Next Door program. To those who don't know what that is, it's a HUD program that gives certain civil servants (cops/firefighters/EMT's/teachers) a 50% discount off of the list/appraised price of the home. The house I'm closing on was appraised at $275,000, so I'm getting it for a whopping $137,500. The only stipulation is that I have to live there as my sole residence for at least 36 months in order to receive the full discount. Which, it's actually a pretty nice house in a decent neighborhood, so no complaints on my end! Being a lowly civil servant does pay off from time to time. If anyone else is a full time civil servant on this board, I implore you to look into this program; my cousin won one last November (took him about ~9 months of bidding as well) and now I have as well. It's truly an investment that's hard to ignore... but, I digress.

What does this have to do with cars? Well, my commute is going to increase drastically from what it is currently. This means I would be racking up more miles than I want to rack up on my '13 VW Golf R, which I would prefer not to do. My gas bill is also going to increase, which, is not really a big deal, but if said third / project car happens to get better gas mileage, that would be a bonus.

I suppose I should also just be honest with myself... I also want a project car and after I close on the house, I'll be in a position to afford one. Criteria for project car:

-Preferably under $3500.
-It has to run! I can't stress this enough. Rolling shells won't help me much.
-Reasonably sporty, or at least has the potential to be fun on the track with the proper modifications (within reason).
-Better fuel economy than my AWD Golf R is a plus (I average about ~21mpg, with about 65% city & 35% highway driving).
-Decent aftermarket support. Yes, that's very subjective, I know... I truly have no desire to modify / tinker with my Golf R; with the urge to play/modify cars is always there.

Basically, this vehicle would likely be driven to work 1 or 2 days a week to keep help miles off of the VW. It would also be expected to run the occasional track day or autoX and survive me tinkering with it.... The VW is AWD and is brilliant in the snow, so that's not a concern. I also have the Golf R for hauling the little lady & kiddos around, so the number of seats is irrelevant (i.e. 2-seaters are fine). I would prefer RWD, but would consider FWD for the right vehicle.

Here's a few ideas that have popped into my head:

-94-97 Mazda Miata: lightweight, tons of potential, cheap aftermarket, RWD, ect. The biggest con is that at 6'2" 212 lbs, I'm just a bit cramped in the Miata, which can be a little rough on longer commutes.

-EF (88-91) or EG (92-95) Honda Civic Hatchback or 88-91 Honda CRX: lightweight, huge aftermarket, great gas mileage, easy motor swap options in the future, ect. Biggest con: FWD.

-MK2 VW GTI: lightweight, decent aftermarket, "different" than traditional options and arguably has more "character" than a Civic. Cons: FWD & less reliable than other options.

-Nissan 240SX: middleweight (bordering on light), RWD, big aftermarket, I'll likely fit in one a bit better than some of the others mentioned. Cons: "mad tyte drift" crowd.. most of them have been thoroughly abused, ect.

-MK1 (AW11) Toyota MR2: lightweight, mid-engine RWD, more room than a Miata, decent fuel economy, also a more "unique" car- it looks like a Transformer! Cons: PITA to work on, smaller aftermarket than some of the others, higher potential for rust.

-MK2 (SW20) Toyota MR2 (non-turbo): middle-weight, mid-engine RWD, roomier than some other cars mentioned, direct engine swap choices (either the turbo 3S-GTE or the Camry's V6). Cons: royal PITA to work on! Smaller aftermarket, ect.

-E30 BMW 325i / 325is: loads of character! middle-weight, inline-6, Spec E30 classes, huge aftermarket, relatively inexpensive parts. Cons: finding one without rust; being higher maintenance than others, ect.

-E36 BMW 325i(s) / 328i(s): best daily driver on the list, lots of torque / nice inline-6, big aftermarket, largest interior, 50/50 weight distribution, Spec E36 classes. Cons: fuel economy isn't quite as good as others, higher maintenance costs, more expensive consumables, heaviest car on the list.


In a nutshell, those are the vehicles I've come with. Yes, there's too many options.... which, isn't really a bad thing! Any other ideas that meet the criteria above, feel free to post them up!

Otherwise, what thinks you CMZC?!?

Thanks in advance!

-Brandon

WOW! Congrats on the house! I wish I can get that kind of discount too.

As for the car... I have no idea... maybe turbo MR2.

I say MK2 Toyota MR2 would be a great car for you. If I was buying for myself from that list, I would go with a MK1 Toyota MR2 but I like my '80s cars.

I`m Batman wrote:WOW! Congrats on the house! I wish I can get that kind of discount too.

As for the car... I have no idea... maybe turbo MR2.

Thanks man!

Honestly, I would love another MR2 turbo, but the prices on them are a little more than I'm willing to spend upfront. Hence, only mentioning the naturally aspirated MK2 MR2... long term, a car like that would probably receive the fairly directly swapped Camry V6.

RX-7 Chris wrote:I say MK2 Toyota MR2 would be a great car for you. If I was buying for myself from that list, I would go with a MK1 Toyota MR2 but I like my '80s cars.

I know you dig '80's cars! Honestly, I dig the MK1 MR2 as well, although finding a clean one is getting harder as time goes on...

My 2 CRXs were a blast. Both were SIs. I fit in those easily, so I'm sure you would as well. good luck finding a non ratted out one, though. Any interest in a 944? Another RWD middleweight with a decent aftermarket. Downside being Porsche parts prices. I also like the 240sx and the MK2 Supras. Even the scary world of DSMs...

Huzer wrote:My 2 CRXs were a blast. Both were SIs. I fit in those easily, so I'm sure you would as well. good luck finding a non ratted out one, though. Any interest in a 944? Another RWD middleweight with a decent aftermarket. Downside being Porsche parts prices. I also like the 240sx and the MK2 Supras. Even the scary world of DSMs...

Tim, I never knew you had a couple CRX's! How are you fitting in the new Miata?

Honestly, I have always liked the Porsche 944 turbo (951), but thought they were a little out of my price range... maybe I should do a bit more research. I suppose I could probably afford a naturally aspirated 944, but don't know much about them, other than they have a cult-like following and their own racing classes. I'll look into it.

I've owned a turbo DSM before.... once.... *involuntary shudder*.... I've worked on a few of them.... never again. I would rather deal with [electric] issues on a 25+ year old German car before I would touch a DSM again. They're pretty much all molested these days and they make old VW's look like the gods of reliability. They're decent drag cars (the AWD ones) for the money, but they're not exactly known for their handling abilities. I still have nightmares about my old DSM... It was the sole reason I couldn't bring myself to ever buy an EVO all those years ago when I bought my STI.

Oddly enough, I had a few [large] issues with my old MR2, but I don't feel the same way about it; possibly because it was at least fun to drive- unlike my DSM. In the MR2's defense, all of it's issues were related to abuse! My DSM frequently broke itself, with no assistance of mine needed. Just thinking about it makes me want to buy a DSM, just to burn it to the ground out of some sick sense of belated revenge...

I don't think anything can compete with a Miata for what you're wanting. I was in a similar situation a few years ago and it was the reason I bought mine. I needed a 3rd vehicle to help keep the miles off my new MS3 at the time, and I could not stand the thought of having a Civic or some other extremely boring car (don't get a Civic). The Miata fit the bill perfectly in getting me 30mpg with about 75% highway 25% city and still being a blast to drive even though it is quite slow in the acceleration department.

As for fitting in one, I'm 6'0" 235 and do not feel cramped in mine, and you could always do the foamectomy like Tim did with his and get another inch or two of head clearance, or go with aftermarket seats like Ron (coloskydiver) did with his. Both of them are tall and make it work.

An N/A 944 could be a lot of fun too. My friend races spec 944 and that thing turns better lap times at HPR than my Mustang. Granted he's a much more experienced driver and the thing is completely gutted and is an all-out race car, but still, it could be a lot of fun to drive even without being boosted.

roninsoldier83 wrote:Tim, I never knew you had a couple CRX's! How are you fitting in the new Miata?
.

I fit in the Miata similarly to the RX8. In the future I do plan on swapping out the wheel and modifying the door cards to allow for a little more room. Eventually, I'll probably swap seats as well. I've been DDing it for the past month or so (I've only put 40 miles on the Tundra in the past 6 weeks) and it does great.

CRXs were so much fun. I preferred my '89 to the '85, but they were both fun.

Another cheap turbo with a decent aftermarket would be a Saab 900 (pre-GM). It was a surprisingly quick/agile car. Solid, too. Although it most likely isn't the look you're going for. It definitely doesn't project "sporty".

I drove a '86 944 back in the (surprise!) late 80s. It was n/a. Fun car. Another one has always been on my restore bucket list. In fact, it was close between a 944 and a Miata until I found this little bugger for too cheap to pass up. My own "cheap" list is way too expansive and random! It's also too subject to whims.

Personally, I would say its time to get an adult car. Shitboxes are fine for playing around with in college or on the cheap, but at some point its time to play with something that will retain some kind of value. And sure, you may spend 20K or so up front, but its usually worth it instead of spending 4K or so and then getting nickel and dimed to death for the rest of time of ownership, ending up with 30k or so in a shitbox only worth 5.

In order, I recommend:

3.0 litre Carrera Porsche, 74-84-ish, not bad to work on and a true drivers car. Look around and you can find a good value without much trouble.

Porsche 996 99-01- Sweet cars for very little cash. I have supercharged several of them and they are bad ###. Can be had for around 20k in most cases.

Porsche Boxster- Can be had way cheap, like in the 11K range, and are literally begging for FI. Awesome chassis and handling, endless upgrades.

Lotus Esprit/Turbo- Personally would choose an S4, but its a personal preference, cars that need work can be found for very reasonable prices. Be very careful with lower milage cars that may have sat for awhile, as these tend to have issues.

BMW Z4/Roadster- Excellent candidates for big motor swaps and or F!

1st Gen Viper- getting harder to find, but a few years ago when I was looking they were common in the 30k range. Awesome cars for the money

1st Gen NSX- Good cars, can be found for $20k or so and relatively easy to work on. 1st gen non FBW cars are my favorites and are excellent candidates for FI

C5 Z06 Corvette- yeap, awesome cars out of the box, not hard to improve on, and are getting cheaper

Pontiac Solstice/Saturn Sky- Turbo versions are great, but an LSX swaps make them awesome, kind of cheap-looking but who cares

Mercedes AMG C63- serious car, really bad ### and you can drive it anywhere. I nearly bought one for 14k in immaculate condition

There are more of course, but these would be my choices these days instead of a STI/EVO/GT-R/ etc.

I'd sure love to be able to tie up $20k+ in a 3rd car. Not to mention the cash required to "tinker" with any of the vehicles in the above list.

erod550 wrote:I don't think anything can compete with a Miata for what you're wanting. I was in a similar situation a few years ago and it was the reason I bought mine. I needed a 3rd vehicle to help keep the miles off my new MS3 at the time, and I could not stand the thought of having a Civic or some other extremely boring car (don't get a Civic). The Miata fit the bill perfectly in getting me 30mpg with about 75% highway 25% city and still being a blast to drive even though it is quite slow in the acceleration department.

As for fitting in one, I'm 6'0" 235 and do not feel cramped in mine, and you could always do the foamectomy like Tim did with his and get another inch or two of head clearance, or go with aftermarket seats like Ron (coloskydiver) did with his. Both of them are tall and make it work.

An N/A 944 could be a lot of fun too. My friend races spec 944 and that thing turns better lap times at HPR than my Mustang. Granted he's a much more experienced driver and the thing is completely gutted and is an all-out race car, but still, it could be a lot of fun to drive even without being boosted.

Yeah, it truly is hard to not take a good hard look at another Miata... I may hit Tim up & see if he'll let me sit in his with the foamectomy to get a feel for it

I really do dig the 944, but the only thing that concerns me is absurdly high maintenance costs. VW's & BMW's aren't exactly cheap to maintain, but they're not quite Porsche levels of money. I'll need to do a bit more research when I have time.

Huzer wrote:I fit in the Miata similarly to the RX8. In the future I do plan on swapping out the wheel and modifying the door cards to allow for a little more room. Eventually, I'll probably swap seats as well. I've been DDing it for the past month or so (I've only put 40 miles on the Tundra in the past 6 weeks) and it does great.

CRXs were so much fun. I preferred my '89 to the '85, but they were both fun.

Another cheap turbo with a decent aftermarket would be a Saab 900 (pre-GM). It was a surprisingly quick/agile car. Solid, too. Although it most likely isn't the look you're going for. It definitely doesn't project "sporty".

I drove a '86 944 back in the (surprise!) late 80s. It was n/a. Fun car. Another one has always been on my restore bucket list. In fact, it was close between a 944 and a Miata until I found this little bugger for too cheap to pass up. My own "cheap" list is way too expansive and random! It's also too subject to whims.

You know, now that I'm thinking about it, a foamectomy and a nice flat-bottomed steering wheel would probably help a ton in a Miata. Would you mind if I swung by and took yours for a spin around the block sometime? I promise to bring it back in one piece.

Honestly, I'm not too concerned with looks one way or another. As long as it drives well and checks off my wants/needs list, I'm pretty open to most ideas.

I know all about building a "cheap list" that doesn't seem to stop... hell, this list is just filled with cars that made it past the "initial cheap list"! This is the Round 2 list, so to speak.

Huzer wrote:I'd sure love to be able to tie up $20k+ in a 3rd car. Not to mention the cash required to "tinker" with any of the vehicles in the above list.

+1

Sure...although wait until after I've swapped in the new suspension bits. Right now, I'm riding on blown shocks. The Illuminas and FM springs go on Aug 3rd.

You could always just show up on the 3rd.

D Walker wrote:Personally, I would say its time to get an adult car. Shitboxes are fine for playing around with in college or on the cheap, but at some point its time to play with something that will retain some kind of value. And sure, you may spend 20K or so up front, but its usually worth it instead of spending 4K or so and then getting nickel and dimed to death for the rest of time of ownership, ending up with 30k or so in a shitbox only worth 5.

In order, I recommend:

3.0 litre Carrera Porsche, 74-84-ish, not bad to work on and a true drivers car. Look around and you can find a good value without much trouble.

Porsche 996 99-01- Sweet cars for very little cash. I have supercharged several of them and they are bad ###. Can be had for around 20k in most cases.

Porsche Boxster- Can be had way cheap, like in the 11K range, and are literally begging for FI. Awesome chassis and handling, endless upgrades.

Lotus Esprit/Turbo- Personally would choose an S4, but its a personal preference, cars that need work can be found for very reasonable prices. Be very careful with lower milage cars that may have sat for awhile, as these tend to have issues.

BMW Z4/Roadster- Excellent candidates for big motor swaps and or F!

1st Gen Viper- getting harder to find, but a few years ago when I was looking they were common in the 30k range. Awesome cars for the money

1st Gen NSX- Good cars, can be found for $20k or so and relatively easy to work on. 1st gen non FBW cars are my favorites and are excellent candidates for FI

C5 Z06 Corvette- yeap, awesome cars out of the box, not hard to improve on, and are getting cheaper

Pontiac Solstice/Saturn Sky- Turbo versions are great, but an LSX swaps make them awesome, kind of cheap-looking but who cares

Mercedes AMG C63- serious car, really bad ### and you can drive it anywhere. I nearly bought one for 14k in immaculate condition

There are more of course, but these would be my choices these days instead of a STI/EVO/GT-R/ etc.

You got me tempted on some of those cars you listed there... the prices on those things aren't too bad at all...
Now you've put all these thoughts in my head... I'll get in trouble...
mmmmm... Viper... Porsche... AMG... mmmmm...
If I get one of those, my MS3 would become the beater.

I didn't get nickel and dimed by my Miata. Including purchase price, a motor swap (to a lower mileage 1.6L, not a V8 ), and a new top, along with other odds and ends, I have about 5k into mine. Haven't spent anything on it other than regular maintenance in the last 2 years. They are quite reliable once you fix whatever was neglected by the previous owner.

Of course I would love to have most of the other cars that D Walker listed but I can only afford two 20k+ cars at a time, lol. Maybe when the Mustang is paid off. A C63 AMG or a boosted 996 would be delicious.