I am looking for a cheap fun little car for autox. I do not want rotary engines, nothing older than probably 88, under $4500, and I am also not partial to Miata's they look kinda of...well gay.
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Jan. 23, 2010 11:48 a.m. afattitude New Reader
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Jan. 23, 2010 11:53 a.m. Tommy Suddard SonDork
E30 BMW 325i.
Buy for $1000, $1000 to fix it up, $2000 in suspension/ engine/ tires/ wheels.
Perfect fun car for STX. Note I'm extremely partial to these, though.
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Jan. 23, 2010 11:54 a.m. Apexcarver UltraDork
or a civic
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Jan. 23, 2010 11:55 a.m. mw Reader
Miata with rainbow paint job
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Jan. 23, 2010 12:05 p.m. 93celicaGT2 UltraDork
1996 Eclipse convertible with a nice Salmon or Chartreuse paint job.
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Jan. 23, 2010 12:42 p.m. Will Reader
LT1 F-body.
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Jan. 23, 2010 12:44 p.m. ZOO Dork
Miata -- nothing mentioned so far is going to be a better autoxer.
L98 Corvettes are close to your price point. You won't look gay, but you may look something else . . .
Rob (proud Miata and Corvette owner)
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Jan. 23, 2010 1:46 p.m. AutoXchick New Reader
afattitude wrote: and I am also not partial to Miata's they look kinda of...well gay.
How enlightened of you.
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Jan. 23, 2010 1:48 p.m. TJ Dork
I didn't even know cars had sex, much less a sexual preference.
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Jan. 23, 2010 1:52 p.m. Spinout007 HalfDork
Yeah, miata is the answer.....
Now that being said, anyone that has ever called me gay for driving a miata, I have promptly offered a ride, under the condition if they didn't have fun with the ride that they had full right to call me gay, and I would say nothing. No one gets to call me gay as I type this. If ya don't like what I drive, don't look at it. Personally I'll take a 100mph go kart anyday. I love em.
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Jan. 23, 2010 1:52 p.m. TJ Dork
Found this on a lotus forum.
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Jan. 23, 2010 2:46 p.m. paul New Reader
Older hondas w/ double wishbone @ all corners (I'm partial to 3rd gen accords/preludes)...
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Jan. 23, 2010 2:59 p.m. psychoboy New Reader
paul wrote:
Older hondas w/ double wishbone @ all corners (I'm partial to 3rd gen accords/preludes)...
if you want double wishbones at all corners, you are stuck with 3rd gen (88-91) ludes...and their stupid b-series motors. but, for the money suggested, 3rd gen body with H22 (or turbo f23) swap is feasible, and pretty stout.
all mechanical 4 wheel steer, caster, camber, and tow adjustment at all four corners....if those motors had been worth a damn, people wouldn't race CRXs.
3rd gen (86-89) accords have trailing arms in the back...jsyk.
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Jan. 23, 2010 3:09 p.m. P71 SuperDork
Why no rotary engines, 87 and older cars, or Miatas? You're ruling out like 75% of the most successful autocross cars. Heck for $1500 you could have my fully-sorted, championship-winning RX-7 and still have $2500 left over to blow on a second car! You also wouldn't look as gay as a Miata...
...remember I'm selling my RX-7 to get a Miata, SSSHHHHHH!!!!!
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Jan. 23, 2010 3:28 p.m. oldsaw HalfDork
Fourth gen Civics, if you can find a relatively good one. Parts are available, not too expensive and are good platforms for multiple/various swaps and upgrades.
Do not discount the sedans as they weigh little more than the hatches and have the same potential.
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Jan. 23, 2010 4:57 p.m. Salanis UberDork
afattitude wrote:
I am also not partial to Miata's they look kinda of...well gay.
Obviously, you have never really driven one.
If you're worried about looking "gay", a rollbar and number meatballs fix that really quickly.
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Jan. 23, 2010 4:59 p.m. The_Jed Reader
http://chicago.craigslist.org/nwc/cto/1560433918.html
No affiliation of any sort.
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Jan. 23, 2010 5:07 p.m. The_Jed Reader
My former boss had a '99 Miata, the looks I got while driving through Peoria were hilarious. On the other hand I have driven no other car that handled as well as that one and it was completely stock.
They are not exactly my cup of tea either but I could see how a fella could derive a great deal of pleasure from zipping around in one.
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Jan. 23, 2010 5:59 p.m. iceracer HalfDork
Escort EGT or ZX2
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Jan. 23, 2010 6:19 p.m. Spinout007 HalfDork
The_Jed wrote:
My former boss had a '99 Miata, the looks I got while driving through Peoria were hilarious. On the other hand I have driven no other car that handled as well as that one and it was completely stock.
They are not exactly my cup of tea either but I could see how a fella could derive a great deal of pleasure from zipping around in one.
Yeah, I personally loved our 90 model, and I'm fixing to dump my 96 protege for a 1.8 swapped 92, they're great, only thing I seriously had a problem with was, sitting in traffic and looking at the guy next to me in the crown vic....I was looking at his elbow and I was looking up. Oh well, delivering pizza in one was absofreakinglutely GREAT! it was low enough that I just drove right under most apartment complex security gates!
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Jan. 23, 2010 6:59 p.m. blaze86vic Reader
$4500 for an auto-x car newer than 88 hrmmmmm.......
1: Mustang, spend 3 grand on the car, spend the rest on suspension parts. Have fun and learn to drift!
2: CRX, spend 2 grand on the car, 1500 on maintenance catch-up, and the rest on suspension.
3: 240sx, spend 3500 on the car, the rest fixing what the drifters messed up.
4: Miata, spend $4499.50 on the car, and $0.50 on a brown paper bag, have fun.
Oh and option BETA FREAK OUT! Break your own rules and spend $1000 on something older than 88, spend 3000 making it awesome, then 500 to make awesome actually work.
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Jan. 23, 2010 8:12 p.m. alfadriver Dork
Go to SCCA.org, go to links for soloII, check results for both Solo champ and pro-solo champ. Check all cars in SP, ST, and stock. Start with top 25% of each class. Filter out expensive cars, and cars that don't fit your criteria.
That should give you a few good choices.
For instance, the most recent DSP winner was a Merkur. There are tons of good choices there that don't look like Miatas.
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Jan. 23, 2010 9:26 p.m. GI_Drewsifer Reader
Porsche 944 8V! You can get those for less than 4500 easy.
Toyota MR-2.
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Jan. 23, 2010 9:47 p.m. Greg Voth Reader
I just picked up a 84 Volvo 240 with a built 5.0 and a bunch of other goodies. At the autocross today I ran a 48.XX on Fulda brand tires that are dry rotting. FTD was in the high 44.XX or low 45.XX. I have to run in XP and will never be truly competitive but it was freaking blast. I also have a (actually) 3 first gen RX-7s. Those are fun too. Really you can't go wrong unless you are looking to win.
If Tom reads this he could attest to the hoonage and probably post up a picture.
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Jan. 23, 2010 11:45 p.m. AngryCorvair SuperDork
GI_Drewsifer wrote:
Porsche 944 8V! You can get those for less than 4500 easy.
Toyota MR-2.
944 8V? E36 M3, a month ago you could've gotten a 944 V8 for two grand. subtle difference between the two.
