Craigslist + $4K = ?

Protege 5.

mndsm wrote: Protege 5.

I bought one new in 2003 after looking at it and the Focus. I should have bought the Focus. I was drawn in by the Protege's styling. But the mileage wasn't very good for an econobox (30 at MOST in freeway driving), and it was just generally underpowered. It was also a horrible understeering mess the one time I autocrossed it. I got rid of it after a year.

5.0 Mustangs are capable of low to mid 20s if you keep your foot out of it and don't put in silly drag-racing gears.

i like the tdi suggestion. i love those 1.9 tdis

Okay, so I think I really like the idea of a e36 328i 5sp. This would net me decent mileage, good highway manners, huge aftermarket, and something that could be occasionally tracked with minimal mods.

So I am asking the CL sleuths of GRM to help me find a e36. Sacramento area preferred, but bay area if it is a good example.

Buy my 318i and then stick some giant motor into it.

carczar_84 wrote: but will I fit in a 2nd gen MR2? I haven't had the chance to find see one yet, but from the looks of it, seems like it might be tight? And, yes, the endless CL searching can be quite evil!

Compared to a Miata, they are a cathedral. I sold a '91 hardtop to a guy that was like 6'5", and he commented that it was one of the only sports cars he fit in. By contrast, he tried my 944 Turbo that I had at the time and couldn't fit.

Well, I would also be interested in a hardtop MR2, but I have not seen one yet in my searches. Does anyone know of one in the northern California area not beat to hell and for sale?

poopshovel wrote:

Javelin wrote: Mustang baby! You can easily nab a 5.0 GT from 94-95 in that range, and a Cobra if you are lucky.

And those are SURE to get great gas mileage!

He said good, not great. Funnily enough, near-30MPG highway is easily doable with the stock 2.73 or 3.08 gears...

Javelin wrote:

poopshovel wrote:

Javelin wrote: Mustang baby! You can easily nab a 5.0 GT from 94-95 in that range, and a Cobra if you are lucky.

And those are SURE to get great gas mileage!

He said *good*, not *great*. Funnily enough, near-30MPG highway is easily doable with the stock 2.73 or 3.08 gears...

All relative I suppose. For me, 30+ is "good." 40+ is "really good." 50 is "great." Oh, and it may be possible for some to get that kind of mileage out of a RWD V8. I am not one of those people.

If I had 4k to spend I would be buying something interesting for around 1500. I would then spend the rest on wheels/tires, suspension, full exhaust, intake and a tune. Doesn't much matter what the car is, that is the formula for a fun commuter.

It's just my opinion, feel free to make it yours.

In reply to poopshovel:

Really? What do you drive, a 1st Gen Insight? The number of cars on the road that can actually get 30MPG is very small. I would call 20 "decent", 25 "good", 30 "great", and 35+ "un-possible"....

Well, I guess I should clarify what "good" mileage meant. Mid to high twenties avg would be great, considering that my 06 4wd ranger only averages 17-18mpg a tank. 70 miles a day kinda stings. It is also not the greatest commuter vehicle.

So has anyone seen any clean e36 bmw's or hardtop 2nd gen n/a MR2's in the Northern California region worth looking at this weekend? I seem to have the worse time searching for cars

I had to fight the urge to go to CL and begin searching when I saw the title of this thread...

if you're considering a hardtop Miata at all, at your height... don't. Miata may be the answer, but not for a tall dude like yourself. if you have a long torso and short legs you will need a gurney bubble that looks like someone cut a beach ball in half and glued it to the roof. if you have an average torso but long legs, your knees will be about even with the steering column. yes, you can foamectomy the stock seats, but if you want to go lower you're pretty much limited to Elise seats (or seats designed to fit in an Elise/Exige) mounted on custom mounts that forgo the sliders, and Elise seats are a bit lacking in the padding department...

as far as cars to look out for, this might sound a bit odd, but maybe a fastback fox body mustang with the 2.3L 4? throw some dirt midget motor tech at it (Esslinger has been tuning those damn motors forever it seems), some good suspension/brakes/tires at it, pull the rear seats (to save weight and make room for carrying stuff and things and perhaps a rollbar) and enjoy? not exactly the average recipe for a fun commuter, or the average recipe for an average fun streetable Mustang, but this IS the forum that can get excited over a Yugo, remember?

One thing on the E36 cars, it's my understanding that it's considerably more difficult to find a post-96 (328) car with an LSD than the earlier ones, because BMW started putting traction control on them instead. Something to keep in mind.

Yeah, I have pretty much written off the idea of a miata, just don't ever see it working for me

Did not know about the late model e36 LSD thing, that is good to know.

Going to keep searching CL, but if someone stumbles across a good example that they don't want to keep to themselves, that would be awesome!

I am looking for a 1996 328i to replace my 1994 325i. I want to run it in SCCA Solo D Stock/RTR so I'd want the rare LSD option. The unit itself is still available new from BMW for $500, but wouldn't be legal in Stock for the later model years. The factory LSD may also be the only legal option for 328s in STX. I'd also want the sports package and non-folding rear seats in the sedan. In MY1997 traction control became standard and the sunroof became optional. Side airbags also became standard later in that model year.

The interior of my 325i is pretty sad and a real pain to try to work on--I am in the middle of replacing the B-pillar and C-pillar covers. It seems like nearly everything rubber, plastic, or leather has become brittle.

I found an LSD equipped rear end for the 325i fairly easily for <$100. It was standard on the early winter package which also included heated seats. The sports package gained 16" wheels in MY1995. Which is a bit of a factor since 225/50R16s are quite a bit bigger than 225/45R15s. Though I have 225/50R15 V710s for this year.

Parts availability and pricing is great, though there is more junk too. I've been researching struts--some TC Kline front Konis might be my next big purchase.

Does anyone around this area have a hardtop Mr2 that i could maybe take a look at and see if I could even fit? My height really seems to be narrowing down my choices one by one

I have a 91 MR2 Turbo w/ the T-Tops. I'm about 6'3", 230 lb, and fit with no problem with the t-top inserts in. I don't think I'd want to try it with a helmet, but a hardtop would probably fix that.

FWIW: my normal high driving position in the 325i doesn't work with a helmet, but it is just a minor inconvenience. It certainly wouldn't be an issue without the sunroof, and some of the later E36es had tilt steering. The coupes however have lower roofs. It certainly isn't as bad as the SC2. Actually my Saturn is a nice commuter. It gets much better gas mileage, and it corners faster than the BMW too.

nicksta43 wrote: If I had 4k to spend I would be buying something interesting for around 1500. I would then spend the rest on wheels/tires, suspension, full exhaust, intake and a tune. Doesn't much matter what the car is, that is the formula for a fun commuter. It's just my opinion, feel free to make it yours.

We may be related!

Javelin wrote: In reply to poopshovel: Really? What do you drive, a 1st Gen Insight? The number of cars on the road that can *actually* get 30MPG is very small. I would call 20 "decent", 25 "good", 30 "great", and 35+ "un-possible"....

I get 30 consistently in the Integra, and I'll sell it to you today for $1500! 33 if I'm hypermiling. It really needs a tune-up. I haven't changed the plugs in a million years. Used to get 35. That's exit neighborhood, set cruise at 75 on hwy, with an average of 3 traffic light stops on the 40 mile each way commute.

I get 34 in the Fit with mama and baby. Best so far was 37+ from north georgia to SC. Lots of 55mph zones, mostly 80mph. On the 80mph stretches, I was probably getting 30.

I almost hit 50mpg hypermiling my buddy's Civic VX to and from work for a week.

I'll vote 240SX or E36. I wouldn't limit yourself to CL and your immediate area. You might have to travel a bit. Also try searching some forums. Bimmerworld is good. NicoClub as well.

I had to go look. There is a 91 MR2 na in Oakland West on SF Bay Craigslist. It says clean title, it looks clean, 104k miles. 3500/b.o. I don't know how to post links, sorry. Oh yeah, it's a black 5 speed!