Cars under $10K
 

Alright, before listing out all the possibilities, heres the scoop:

In a couple of months, I'll be looking to get rid of my SRT-4. I like the car, but I'm not IN-LOVE with it. Also, it just doesnt seem to fit my needs.... So Let's say I sell the car for ~$10K +/-... Please recommend cars that fit this criteria:

1. 3 season fun DD (2 seater, 4 seater, it doesn't matter)
2. Fun for Auto X/Track/HPDE
3. <$10K
4. Low cost maintenance/ good reliability/ robust
5. AWD/RWD
6. Fun stockish (Seat time>>> mods)

My list so far:

MR2T
300ZXTT
240SX

Miata's are fun, but I just can't drive them everyday. It's not the performance... it's the looks. Sorry :o

Tracking the Supra is not an option until I become a better driver, and/or afford to replace parts (Supra tax FTL). For the winter, I'll be looking for a small pickup or corolla or something cheap.

Any suggestions? Personal experiences wanted :) Thanks

Jeremy

Even though it is FWD; def look into an SVT Focus. It was my favorite DD and I wish I never sold it.

sorry man, but the reason I'm getting rid of the SRT is that it is FWD. I'm sure it's fun as a DD, but on the track, I would prefer a RWD car.

Jeremy

wrx. or 2.5rs and swap it.

I was going to suggest a older 2.5rs as well. If you can find one with good mileage i can't see you turning it down. Awd for all seasons & weather, good looks (IMO), a lot of potential, parts easily affordable.

how many miles does your srt4 have?

I like your ideas, but can I actually get a nice 2.5RS that's been swapped under $10K, and pass NYS stupid emissions laws (OBD II, swapped motor?). I was looking at them, but I only found ones with 100K+ miles, stock NA motor, and ~$7K! I'd rather get an MR2 at that rate. what about the "glass tranny" issue?

As for my SRT-4, it has ~76K miles, and has two bolt ons (quieter than stock, retains cats). Previous owner was a 40+ year old guy. I've never redlined it either lol.

I was suggesting swapping one,not buying one swapped. but youre right.

is300. or maybe you could find a good deal on a 350z (there is one on here for 10k)

Naturally I'm going to agree with getting a RS. You CAN get one w/ swap for under 10.. You can get a nice a** one for ruffly 10-15k. Check out the following link There's a couple for sale now - http://www.rs25.com/forums/f171-fs-cars-sale (don't get discouraged by dude asking 17K for his, if you want to spend that much, contact me :)

Be aware of obd-1 swapped jdm engines (emissions), Check / ask about rust on rear quarter panels, and ask who did the swap (if they did it test their knowledge and focus on how clean the wiring was done).

IS300 is really nice too, but everyone is still selling 5MTs for $12K. The 350Z on here is awesome, so if it's still available in April, I'll be giving him a call :wink:

Thanks for the advice. The more I can save from the purchase, the better (=more seat time). Would really hate to deal with another OBD-2 car. It's a pain to get the Supra inspected, and I just don't want another headache. Everytime I see Dan's MR2, I get jealous. I'm a Toyota fanboi at heart LOL

What about RX-8s? I will most likely never really mod it

Pros:
Gorgeous exterior
Gorgeous interior
6-spd
RWD
4 seats/4 doors
Handling

Cons:
Motor?
MPGs

If you go towards MR2s and want some info, feel free to contact me. If I remember you already know stuff about them (?)..

They are fun cars, BUT if you are going to buy one. Get it STOCK.

STOCK STOCK STOCK lol... engine wise at least.

You can find some NICE 93 Turbos with loowwwww miles for $10k easy.

Thanks man. I've contacted 5 people on CL about their MRs and got ZERO response. And yes, I'm trying to get a car as close to stock as possible. I don't want someone's headache. Any other sites better than mr2oc or mr2.com? Both don't seem to have much cars for sale.

Bugeye WRX FTW

and holy $hit I can finally see sigs yay 10 posts

haha, i was going to say srt-4 too...

um... used trans am?

240sx, any mustang like 04 and older (if you find the right deal), MR2, and if you can find a stock one, obviously any AWD DSM.

not really. MR2oc is going to be your best place to buy an MR2 in good shape. Getting the right MR2 takes a lot of time. Took me 5 years to find the one I wanted.

You could buy my 91 Civic Si Turbo AWD420whp for $9,800

Eric

I love WS6's but for Auto X? Perhaps not.

Mustang is out. No offense, but I've been to the mustang community and... they are pretty ignorant. lol. DSM has been considered, but other people in another forum has ruled it out for reliability issues.

Sounds nice, but not what I'm looking for. The only FWD car I want is a Type R, but the price is just too high. :(

I really love the looks of a clean 300ZXTT or an MR2T. I'll focus my search there. I'm gonna pursue some more leads... any real life experiences with 300ZXs? I hear that HICAS is a PITA

Definitely consider a 300ZXTT. They've been my favorite car for a number of years now. Drive one, and you'll see why. If you have any questions about it, feel free to PM me.