Thought experiment: $10k

[NSFW]

I've been contemplating spending as much as $10k on upgrades to my Legacy. Big turbo, supporting mods, blah blah blah. It just occurred to me that I could also spend $10k on a second car... Dunno if I would actually want to, but it's an idea worth exploring.

 

It would have to be capable of 11-second quarter miles, preferably 10s. My Legacy will never be that fast, but if I'm going to have a second car it's going to have to outperform it by quite a bit.

 

It would have to corner better too, but I'm less picky about that. I can deal with slowing for the turns if it picks up speed again quickly.

 

It can't be FWD.

 

It can't be in the shop all the time.

 

What fits the bill?

[mdzowner]

. first off i would say an older nissan. 300zx 280zx or 240sx. most can be found relatively cheap and have tons of potential especially with 5 grand or more to dump in the motor. or swaping one out. albeit slightly girly a miata would also be a decent cornering car but im not sure about meeting your power requirements. from the domestic side an mustang with the old 5.0 can be made sub 11 sec with a bit of work, but it will corner like a turd.

[whitetiger]

I think a miata is the way to go as long as you build the motor from the ground up for turbocharging and get the right drivetrain support mods. it does not have to be that powerfull if you do some weight reduction. nothing girly about a lightened miata with over 300whp.

[RochNY91TSI]

You could go for a first or second gen dsm. They can be had for much less than 10k and won't have a problem hitting 10's. Hell, I was trying to sell mine for half of that *with* a build motor with a couple thousand miles on it. All if would have needed is a bigger turbo

 

 

 

 

 

 

(motor's still for sale if you're interested )

[Hokiebird]

Fox body mustang fits your requirements. Personally, I would spend the extra 2 to 3 grand and get a nice condition TT 300ZX.

[rao]

+1 on the DSM. The Miata will never be anywhere close to as fast as you want.

 

You cold also get where you want to be with a Mustang or Camaro.

[SLegacy99]

I'd say Prelude. Yes its FWD and its quite good. Its light, moddable, and perhaps the one car that Honda has done right in the last 10 years.

[PhilT]

I think a miata is the way to go as long as you build the motor from the ground up for turbocharging and get the right drivetrain support mods. it does not have to be that powerfull if you do some weight reduction. nothing girly about a lightened miata with over 300whp.

 

+1 for the Miata

 

and yes you can make it that fast

[rao]

by putting a GT-R badge on it??

[05GT Guru]

I would get an pre 93 rx-7 with no engine or trans, which can be had for under 1k with no rust. I have even found some with no engien or trans prefect condition with a ford 9 inch or 12 bolt already installed, get 4.11 rear gears and drop a ls1 with the t-56 or built auto your choice into it you can get a ls1 with the t56 for 3-4k these days and there are websites that sell the needed oil pan and wiring harness to fit the rx7. With just bolt ons you could make 350rwhp and with a 2700lbs car and drag radials people have gone deep 11s right there, maybe a cam ls1 or semi built ls1 400-450rwhp and it would be a very very low 11 second car if you can get your 5k-5500rpms launch down it could go 10s easy. Or a bolt on ls1 with spray in that car would easily go 10s. Or you could just skip all that get a 98-02 ls1 car for around 7-8k i see them goin for now, there is a 99 z28 with 65kmiles goin for 6800 by my house. and bolt ons,drag radials and a a good nitrous shot would put you in the 11s in a f-body. If its auto a stall would aslo be needed. but there are actually alot of 10-11 second cars that cost under 10k. A couple months back some guy was selling a 95 240sx With a bolt on ls1 in it for 7500 it went a 11.8 with street tires and a auto with stock stall.

[VTGT]

How about a car for tall people (6'4)

 

Yeah the more I think about it the more it makes sense to do a mild turbo upgrade(18g or 20) to keep the car reliable and save up for something else to toy with.

[05GT Guru]

I am 6,3 and have sat in many rx-7s and my friend matt is 6,6 and he has owned 7 rx-7s lol

[IwannaSportSedan]

Although I doubt an FD-3S RX7 in really good shape would be that inexpensive (although maybe, if the seller is motivated.)

 

But perhaps a SW20 MR2 Turbo coupe. Less expensive to buy and maintain, mid-engined, and still pretty light. Probably as nice or nicer than an Eagle Talon TSI AWD, and better balanced as a sports car.

 

Otherwise, perhaps a nice-ish 944 Turbo or 968, or even a rare find of a private-sale 928, or older 911. if one likes Porsches.

[05GT Guru]

And those porches run 11s or can be mad eto run 10s or 11s with little money? As for pre 93 rx-7s i have found many under 2k and those all had engines and trannys msot even ran and drove, one wihtout and engine or tranny could easily go for under or around 1k.

 

not to mention rx7s handle amazingly, the ls1 weighs a couple lbs less than the 1.3 rotary non turbo. and it sits father back and slightly lower in the car making it have an even better center of gravity. the t-56 or built auto and rear end will probalby add a little weight but it will still easily be a sub 3klbs car.

[kevkel33leg05]

Fox body mustang fits your requirements.

Or even a 98-02 camaro or trans am. Both LS1's, 6 speed, and with full exhaust and a tune your in the low 12's maby high 11's.

[05GT Guru]

I think you are giving the f-bodys a little too much credit, bolt ons, a tune and a 6speed would get 12.6-12.9 with a good driver, add drag radials to the mix and you couldget 12.3s or so but 11s not likely unless he did some weight reduction. bolt ons a tune and a 150shot of go fast juice with some drag radials would get you low 11s.

[whitetiger]

You cold also get where you want to be with a Mustang or Camaro.

 

 

he did say handle better not worse . live rear axle FTL

[05GT Guru]

Lol you do know that the f-bodys have a better slalom gs and speed than the legacy right?

[whitetiger]

I was comparing it to a miata. the LGT has a poor slalom speed im magazines because it comes with shit tires. put a good set of rubber on the lgt and it will easily out slalom and out skid pad an f-body.

[05GT Guru]

lol excuses excuses, live axle is far superior in 1/4mile time and thats pretty much what hes looking for with somewhat good handling. With a couple suspension mods my ls1 car felt far better than this legacy and i could keep up with my evo friends on corners with ease. I have seen quite few f-bodys setup for autox keep up and take STIs on cornering, im not saying a decked out STI wouldnt take a decked out f-body in corners but they can handle and handle well. This coming from someone who has owned both cars.

[Habitual Line Stepper]

AE86, i heard those are good chassis to build up.

[whitetiger]

lol excuses excuses, live axle is far superior in 1/4mile time and thats pretty much what hes looking for with somewhat good handling. With a couple suspension mods my ls1 car felt far better than this legacy and i could keep up with my evo friends on corners with ease. I have seen quite few f-bodys setup for autox keep up and take STIs on cornering, im not saying a decked out STI wouldnt take a decked out f-body in corners but they can handle and handle well. This coming from someone who has owned both cars.

 

 

Thats cause the STIs and EVO's were not being driven by good drivers. AUTOX is 90% driver, 10% car.

there is a reason why the SCCA puts F-bodys in a lower clas than the LGTs STIs EVOs and miatas even though the f-bodys have much more power. With equal drivers, the other cars are faster than f-bodys and mustangs. STIs and EVOs used to be in the same class as the f-bodies in Street prepared cataory, but the sti's and evos were so dominant they had to move them up in class so the rest of the cars would have a shot.

 

For drag racign, there is ntohing better than mustangs/f-bodies for bang for your buck performance, but there is a reason the Vette is GM's track/handling machine, and not the f-bodies.

[kevkel33leg05]

I think you are giving the f-bodys a little too much credit, bolt ons, a tune and a 6speed would get 12.6-12.9 with a good driver, add drag radials to the mix and you couldget 12.3s or so but 11s not likely unless he did some weight reduction. bolt ons a tune and a 150shot of go fast juice with some drag radials would get you low 11s.

My teacher tunes/sells camaros and trans am. He pulls 12.9 13.0 with stock ls1 all day. I think with exhaust and tune ud be lower then 12.6. Ill ask him what he would get with this setup...Let alone its all about the driver.

[05GT Guru]

Stock ls1 can go high 12s it has been done. but turbo cars pick up alot more pwoer than n/a from bolt ons anda tune. Trans Am is about 310-320rwhp stock through the t56, with bolt ons and a tune people have seen 350-360rwhp so 40rwhp, a stock leagcy compared to a full bolt on and a tune go from 190whp to 280whp, 90whp. If you dont consider a turbo a bolt on, otherwise the skys the limit lol for both cars. But i think once you start upgradeding the fuel system and what not that its not a bolt on car anymore.

 

Whitetiger, what i said was that a f-body can easily be made to handle slightly better than a stock sti, i even said a sti with suspension mods vs a f-body with the same mods the sti would be the better handeling car. But this guy wants 1/4mile time and a car that handles ok and a car that can handle as well as a lightly modded sti is pretty good, especially for a drag car.

[bosco]

Fox based Mustang is by far the best bang for the buck cheap and plentiful parts plus no guess work about what works.