Aczwild Posted September 18, 2005 Share Posted September 18, 2005 Well I have been thinking alot about it and granted I love my GT, but I want something fun I can hop into from time to time and tool around in. As it stands right now, I'm not a member of the 3 pedal club, but I love driving sticks and I desperately want a manual. All of my field beaters have been manuals and I always get a little giddy (alright really really giddy) when I get into them and tear around. So here it is, my question to all of you (with the limits too), with only $1000, give or take a few hundred, what should I look for? I want it to be fun to drive, cheap to insure and of course a stick. The interior of the car would be completely gutted and only the drivers and passengers seat would be left, so a 2-door is great. The car should be easy to modify, but not too common, but also reliable. I'd love to hear what you guys think. Thanks ~Funk JDM'd All to hell Thanks Jimmy @ Hkc-Speed.com! RIP Coxx & Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aczwild Posted September 18, 2005 Author Share Posted September 18, 2005 Also I want to get into autocrossing, so there is another restriction on the car, handling to begin with should be pretty good. JDM'd All to hell Thanks Jimmy @ Hkc-Speed.com! RIP Coxx & Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
needforsleep Posted September 18, 2005 Share Posted September 18, 2005 a fun beater would be a Miata but they don't cost $1000. I don't think you can get much for $1,000. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegodfather Posted September 18, 2005 Share Posted September 18, 2005 believe me if there was a decent car out there for a grand i would have already bought it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aczwild Posted September 18, 2005 Author Share Posted September 18, 2005 Yea thats what I figured, I'll have to get pretty lucky to find something. Sucks being a college kid with a limited budget, but I have to find an outlet to rid myself of the need to tear into my GT, removing the backseat, rear carpeting, spare, a/c, uneeded electronics and convert it to manual. Im just going nuts without a manual and its not good JDM'd All to hell Thanks Jimmy @ Hkc-Speed.com! RIP Coxx & Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlkLegGt Posted September 19, 2005 Share Posted September 19, 2005 a fun beater would be a Miata but they don't cost $1000. I don't think you can get much for $1,000. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wukindada Posted September 19, 2005 Share Posted September 19, 2005 How good are you @ turning a wrench? I think HOT ROD magazine (last year)had a article on a budget car. It was a 88 or 89 mustang LX 5.0, purchase one with firly high miles 100-125k.You should be able to get one in the 1500-2000 range;) Toyota 6EATS .........SUCK!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aczwild Posted September 19, 2005 Author Share Posted September 19, 2005 Well I can turn a wrench and this little puppy can attest to it. I figure I'm definitely going to have to do some work and I'm fine with that, actaully I welcome it. I have been meaning to get on CAD and making replacement parts on a beatup car and then running them through Mastercam and the CNC machine in my fathers Machine shop. I just want something I can tear apart and have as a serious build up car (I'd do it to the GT, but I need something I can drive while I'm wrenching). JDM'd All to hell Thanks Jimmy @ Hkc-Speed.com! RIP Coxx & Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S4 Posted September 19, 2005 Share Posted September 19, 2005 Look at the Grassroots Motorsports where they cover the 2005 challenge. They do an article on cars built for less than $2005 - if you're willing to do some work, there's lots out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eles1 Posted September 19, 2005 Share Posted September 19, 2005 Yea thats what I figured, I'll have to get pretty lucky to find something. Sucks being a college kid with a limited budget, but I have to find an outlet to rid myself of the need to tear into my GT, removing the backseat, rear carpeting, spare, a/c, uneeded electronics and convert it to manual. Im just going nuts without a manual and its not good Sell your Legacy and buy something with manual trans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aczwild Posted September 19, 2005 Author Share Posted September 19, 2005 Sell your Legacy and buy something with manual trans.Next time I'm home I'm going to ask my uncle who works at the dealership where I bought my baby how much it would be for a manual tranny... JDM'd All to hell Thanks Jimmy @ Hkc-Speed.com! RIP Coxx & Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtwannabe Posted September 19, 2005 Share Posted September 19, 2005 Any turbo dodge from the 80's! cheap, fast and easy to mod. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aczwild Posted September 19, 2005 Author Share Posted September 19, 2005 Any turbo dodge from the 80's! cheap, fast and easy to mod.Yea I't would be sweet to find and Omni GLHS, but damn those things were fugly. I would like something that is a little nice on the eyes, but if I did cross one of those turbo beasts, that would be fun at the right price. JDM'd All to hell Thanks Jimmy @ Hkc-Speed.com! RIP Coxx & Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nsaglibene Posted September 19, 2005 Share Posted September 19, 2005 Umm CRX or a civic hatch can be had for cheap. Throw in a b16 for like 1400, and it will prolly be in the 13's. I kinda wanna get rid of my corrolla and ge a hatch or somthing . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prod Posted September 19, 2005 Share Posted September 19, 2005 N/A FB/FC (1st or 2nd gen) RX-7, or maybe even just a Honda Civic, coupe or hatch. The Hondas get great gas mileage to boot. Another option is a Turbo Celica All-Trac, or maybe just a normal older Celica. One of my buddies has a Turbo All-Trac and then a FWD model that has a Turbo All-Trac motor in it. The swapped FWD one tends to break a lot though. If you can find them, Conquest TSi/Starion, Isuzu Impulse, Subaru Legacy Sport Sedan are all good options as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AWDxBOOST Posted September 19, 2005 Share Posted September 19, 2005 im lookin for an old turbo colt or somethin i have an 88 civic sedan that was rolled over, but it has a good motor and tranny...i just need a shell Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommyh Posted September 19, 2005 Share Posted September 19, 2005 Look at the Grassroots Motorsports where they cover the 2005 challenge. They do an article on cars built for less than $2005 - if you're willing to do some work, there's lots out there. If you look in the August '04 edition where they cover the Challenge for that year you'll see my team's entry. With (reletively) little building expieriance and only really 1 month of work time we came in 32nd with our '94 Saturn SL2. I'll nominate the Saturn SC2 for an inexpencive, reliable, unique, good handling, easy to work on and sporty two door coupe. They're certainly not as fast as the '05 LGT in the staight line, but my '97 handles as good or better than stock Mazda Miatas. Depreiciation has not been very good to the cars (they're going for cheap), but time has had very little effect on them (comparitively little rust). They have a fully indepandant rear suspention and are very well ballanced both front/rear (for a fwd car) and left/right. I'm only talking the DOHC cars the SOHC cars are real dogs, are missing the rear sway bar, no rear disk brakes, had a mushy suspention and came only with 14" wheels. One odd thing of note though; they have the best damn stock seats by far that I've ever sat in. Martin Luther - "Who loves not women, wine and song remains a fool his whole life long." EL4NFZT7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rfd425 Posted September 19, 2005 Share Posted September 19, 2005 I've always liked 1984-1987 Audi 4000 Quattros. I thought about getting one myself for a winter beater at one time. They are AWD, fairly light, and nimble. You could probably buy one for around that price, if you can find one. My independent Audi service shop used to give me one of several loaners they had when I'd get work done, and I always thought the 4000's were more fun than the later 80/90 models. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aczwild Posted September 19, 2005 Author Share Posted September 19, 2005 Thanks for all the ideas so far, I was thinking along the lines of an old CRX, but damn they arent too pretty to look at, but hey for cheap beggars can't be choosers. Thanks Tommyh for the word on the Saturn, when I get home for fall break I'm going to go used car shopping and see what I can find laying around. Hopefully I can find a diamond in the rough JDM'd All to hell Thanks Jimmy @ Hkc-Speed.com! RIP Coxx & Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
myUsername Posted September 19, 2005 Share Posted September 19, 2005 Take a look at 91-94 Nissan Sentra SE-R. They have so much potential either for autocrossing, road racing, or drag racing. sr20forum.com is a great resource...and a very tight knit community. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommyh Posted September 19, 2005 Share Posted September 19, 2005 Take a look at 91-94 Nissan Sentra SE-R. They have so much potential either for autocrossing, road racing, or drag racing. sr20forum.com is a great resource...and a very tight knit community. I also really like the early SE-R, but he lives in Vermont. Cars don't always last that long in the over salted winters of New England. If he can find a good, minimal rust example, it would be a rare beast. Martin Luther - "Who loves not women, wine and song remains a fool his whole life long." EL4NFZT7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
almondcookie Posted September 19, 2005 Share Posted September 19, 2005 Pass on the FC - trust me. I have one. It's a blast to drive but if you have a tight budget ANY rx7 will own you. Any rwd, manual, pre-ABS, pre-power this and power that, pre-SRS, as-close-to-50:50 car is a fun beater. Gut it, put a roll cage and go do the autoX or track or drag or drift or whatever you have your mind on. I would suggest a 240 for the aftermarket parts availability aspects but I see so many darn 240s and all the drift kiddies with their big dreams it's really getting old fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AWDxBOOST Posted September 19, 2005 Share Posted September 19, 2005 thank goodness someone is on the same page as me when it comes to 240s Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aczwild Posted September 19, 2005 Author Share Posted September 19, 2005 I would love, love to find a 240, gut it and roll cage it. Holy crap that is my dream beater. When I go home next weekend I'm gonna fart around the state to try and locate one for cheap (I hope). I'm figuring I'm not going to find much, but looking never killed anyone and there is always stuff out there. If I do find a 240, I wont be mean to it ricing it out, any mods will have a strict purpose to it and performance comes way, way before aesthetics. JDM'd All to hell Thanks Jimmy @ Hkc-Speed.com! RIP Coxx & Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wukindada Posted September 19, 2005 Share Posted September 19, 2005 Ha....good luck finding a 240 for anything close to that;)How about a 90-93 VW Corrado? They are easily modded & they can be picked up for VERY cheap especially the G60 version. I have been in a slightly modded g60 about 220 to the wheels (2700lbs including driver)...very fun little car! These cars are not hard to work on @ all.This would be one VW I would actually purchase;) Toyota 6EATS .........SUCK!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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