Cheap parts, easy upgrades, and fun

In the next year I will be buying a play car to provide something cool for me and the kids to work on and ohh yeah... Have fun.

I'd like an autocross car capable of some road course work, but expect my budget for this to be extra thin so a fun driver would be great.

I'm trying to think of a list of cars that have cheap easily available parts, upgrades are found everywhere and are fun. Ohh also must fit more than two people as I have two older kids and I'd want both of them to ride with me...

My two first thoughts are a mustang and a civic but maybe an older unloved long bed truck from the 60's would be cool.

I dunno.. read my mind and tell me what I'm thinking about.

Purchase price for a driver is about $2500

The badass Fairmont wagon that's recently made a reappearance in the magazine would fit that bill, and it could haul its own stuff to the event. There are container ships full of old Fox parts just lying around at swap meets across the country.

Mustang, Civic, Integra, maybe a Camarobird... I think that would be your option list.

How about something on the Mazda BG chassis - an Escort GT, Protege, 323, MX3, or the Escort ZX2? These go for pocket change, and have done pretty well in LeMons.

C900 Saab? My two boys love that thing (as do I)

examples:

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/dak/cto/5790490952.html

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/ank/cto/5761896575.html

http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/ank/cto/5744109130.html <-- twin I beam.. what corners.. but cool.

+1 for Mustang! If you can find one, an 83-88 Thunderbird is a fox chassis car and is usually cheaper than a Mustang. The Turbo Coupes is the best one, but the 5.0 ones are okay if you plan on upgrading things. Bonus for more interior room, too.

I call this one.. The bad Idea: http://minneapolis.craigslist.org/wsh/cto/5790522344.html

Zephyr/fairmont wagon. But im biased.

You really need to buy my cherry 116k mile 1990 Integra.

In reply to EvanR:

That would work but not now.

Sounds like you're leaning more classic or serious hp, but what about a Neon? The 4-door had tons of room. They were pretty darn quick and fun to drive from the factory. There were lots of model parts swapping to make them handle better and (at one time) a strong aftermarket. Chances are you could find aftermarket stuff in the junkyard almost as easy.

-Rob

Hadn't thought of one. Like anything up here itll all be contingent on rustiness

In reply to MadScientistMatt:

I came to say this or a duratec focus (I'm partial to ZX3 cars) and Volvo 240 should also be considered if you don't mind swapping in an aggressively short R&P, that and the 16v head swap and OE boost bits wake them up.

Good ideas.

ACVW wins for cheap/available parts.

rob_lewis wrote: Sounds like you're leaning more classic or serious hp, but what about a Neon? The 4-door had tons of room. They were pretty darn quick and fun to drive from the factory. There were lots of model parts swapping to make them handle better and (at one time) a strong aftermarket. Chances are you could find aftermarket stuff in the junkyard almost as easy. -Rob

Popped in to recommend the lowly Neon. I was rather prejudiced against them for years until we decided to purchase a first gen coupe for a commuter/beater for 900 bucks. That car changed my perception of the Neon.

In reply to 1988RedT2:

In the mid 00s there was a local rallycrosser when ran a 16v neon R/T and would set FTD 95% of the time, with a B13 se-r setting it the remainder of the time. That is when my impression of the neon changed.

If you're not in the rust and salt belt, a late 70's Nova might be a wild card. Plenty of room for 4 and its a mix of 1st and second gen Camaro underneath. There's nothing cheaper than a small block Chevy to play with.

Fueled by Caffeine wrote: In reply to EvanR: That would work but not now.

Neither am I in a particular hurry to sell. Maybe the stars will align.

In reply to Gearheadotaku:

Ohh. I'm in the rust belt. Minnesota.

Mustang parts are generally cheap and everywhere.

Full size GM trucks of just about any era are the "Mustang" of the truck world in that regard. Tons of aftermarket.

Q45. It's the four seater answer.

Stampie wrote: Q45. It's the four seater answer.

Nope. Cheap. but not what I'm looking for.

Nowhere near the ease of getting parts and cast off upgrades like a mustang, civic, Chevy truck etc.

Caprice has a lot of super cheap new parts and parts pretty much everywhere.

Easy of working on depends on your point of view......gm kinda sucks in my84 lol