lagwagon Posted July 13, 2004 Share Posted July 13, 2004 I'm looking to spend between 6 to 10 grand on a used sports car. Right now I have a Loyale wagon so it will not be very hard to find something sportier. I have always loved the subys. I'm on my third one. My first choice is a RS 2.5 but that is at the top end of my budget maybe a little over. I have also been eyeing the Toyota MR2. They seem pretty sporty and are a lot cheeper than the RS. If anyone has driven both of these cars has some advice I would much appreciate it. Or maybe you could recomend something else. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbhrps Posted July 14, 2004 Share Posted July 14, 2004 Well....have I got an answer for you! I've owned a 1990 Nissan 300ZX for many years, and I've got to say that there are few cars that hold their looks like this thing. Its a blast to drive, is dependable and gathers admiration wherever it goes. It will never date itself. I must admit that mine is just a toy that gets driven say 2 000 km a year. It is not a cheap car to fix if something goes wrong, but there is lots of help on line. They are now in the price range where you can get one very reasonably, just check it out carefully. The NA (normally aspirated) is loads enough, but the TT (Twin Turbo) with 300 HP will put you on a first name basis with every cop in town. Better yet, the Mazda Miata has been built since 1990, are dependable as houses, cheap to fix and run, and would be my next choice. Top down, five speed, high revving, wind in your hair fun. Low mileage/winter stored examples in all years and price ranges are all over the place. Used parts are easy to find and make the upkeep more affordable than the MR2. Take a good one for a test drive on a winding road and I believe that you will fall in love. Check out the consumer reports and owners reviews to see what I mean. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NOMAD327 Posted July 14, 2004 Share Posted July 14, 2004 I would recommend a mitsubishi eclipse for a small sporty car. The first generation 90 to 94 are smaller and have motorized seat belts, and are a bit cramped inside. The 95 to 99 second generation are to me much prettier and have a lot more room inside. They also come as eagle talons and in the earlier years, plymouth lasers. they come as manual or automatic, front wheel or all wheel drive, and hatchback or convertible (fwd only). Most have about 140 HP, but ones with 210 HP are pretty easy to find. There are a few maintenance problem areas as with most cars, but for beauty, handling, and power they match up to most other choices very well. One issue with them would be to find a local garage that can work on them, parts are very easy to obtain, but some times service will be required. If searching on the web, most info is listed under DSM as the three brands were all built by Diamond Star Motors in Normal, Illinois Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chip Posted July 14, 2004 Share Posted July 14, 2004 I agree 100% with gbhrps. 300ZX...Still one of the best looking cars on the road. Miata..Road and Track magazine rated it as one of the most reliable used cars out there. A very low risk investment. You can get a supercharger kit for a Miata for between $3500-$4500 that will turn it into a pocket rocket. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s'ko Posted July 14, 2004 Share Posted July 14, 2004 Are you looking for handling or HP? Early imprezas are well within the low end of your price range. Granted some have the 1.8 l engine. 1995 is when the 2.2 l started appearing. You have AWD and there are a ton of parts that can swap from later soobs like the RS. With the extra money left over you could so some pretty nice mods to get it up to par. I have a 2k OBS 2.2l. I have taken canyon runs w/some WRX's and I had no problem keeping up w/them. I had 3 passengers in my car too. My mods are intake, exhaust, front strut bar and 20mm anti sway bar and 2002 WRX wheels. Total cost so far is under 500 bucks. You can pick up WRX wheels pretty cheap on I-Club and NASIOC. Autotrader has over 100 imprezas at the low end of your price range Here is the link http://autotrader.com/findacar/results.jtmpl?model=IMPREZ&start_year=1984&end_year=2005&min_price=&max_price=6000&distance=any&certified=n&advanced=y&advcd_on=n&make=SUB&address=90247&search_type=used&x=34&y=13 $6000 for the car, $4000 for mods.....= SCARY IMPREZA...... woo hooo.. (What I would do w/4k to spend on my car.) .02 BW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattocs Posted July 14, 2004 Share Posted July 14, 2004 Get an SVX with a 5 speed tans. conversion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lagwagon Posted July 15, 2004 Author Share Posted July 15, 2004 I really like the styling of the 300zx.The only one in the 6K and under auto trader was slightly wrecked and was still $6000.I'll keep looking around. At the local auto cross I road in a very fast Miata. I don't know much about rotory motors but they seem to work well.I never had a convetable either . The styling is so so but, I'm definately function over fashion . Plus lots of AM parts. I checked out the online Auto trader. they have some good deals but ,I'm not sure about buying a car before I could drive it. I definately want to buy a car that has never been wrecked. The Talon,Eclips I know was made with Mitsubishi but,I just don't like America cars. Not that they are bad vehicles well, except for every one I have owned. I will proablely only buy a japanese or european car from now on. I would say I'm a handleing over horsepower kind of driver. I have always driven 4 cylinder cars nothing over 1.9L. None of them sport models. It's fun to drive crapy cars to thier limit but,I think I have developed my skills enough to move on to something more powerful. What about porsches ? Flat 4, rear engine, under $10K? are they a car you can work on? It seems like it might have a lot in common with Subarus. because of the AWD I bet I end up with a ...... Thanks for the input everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie Posted July 15, 2004 Share Posted July 15, 2004 think the Miata is one of the most reliable and best deals out there. My boss races one and a few friends own them and all love them. Porsches tend to cost a fortune to maintain, but if you have too much money they are nice. BMW Zs and Ms are in the middle, cheaper than a P car but twice as expensive as a Miata. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hocrest Posted July 15, 2004 Share Posted July 15, 2004 You can find a SVX for under $6000 and keep the other $4000 on hand for repairs. :D:D You won't be disappointed :D:D Even with all of the extra expenses I have had with mine, I'm glad I bought her :D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chip Posted July 15, 2004 Share Posted July 15, 2004 "I don't know much about rotory motors but they seem to work well" The Miatas don't have rotary motors..The only Mazda which still uses a rotary motor is the RX-8. "I have a 2k OBS 2.2l. I have taken canyon runs w/some WRX's and I had no problem keeping up w/them." Older, non-turbo'd WRXs I assume...? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kevinsUBARU Posted July 15, 2004 Share Posted July 15, 2004 Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Miata Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
s'ko Posted July 15, 2004 Share Posted July 15, 2004 "I have a 2k OBS 2.2l. I have taken canyon runs w/some WRX's and I had no problem keeping up w/them." Older, non-turbo'd WRXs I assume...? Nope. Turboed WRX's. In the twisties HP is not really a factor. Going up the mountain I was neck to neck with then. Going down the mountain I had a bit of trouble b/c my brakes overheated. But if I had the brakes to maintain the speed/braking I think I would be ok. If there were more straightaways, I definately would have eaten dust. BW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LosDiosDeVerde86 Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 I'm looking to spend between 6 to 10 grand on a used sports car. Right now I have a Loyale wagon so it will not be very hard to find something sportier. I have always loved the subys. I'm on my third one. My first choice is a RS 2.5 but that is at the top end of my budget maybe a little over. I have also been eyeing the Toyota MR2. They seem pretty sporty and are a lot cheeper than the RS. If anyone has driven both of these cars has some advice I would much appreciate it. Or maybe you could recomend something else. Thanks! i've always been a big fan of the '98 RS. Very sporty with the wing, hood scoop, vents and large fogs. And as a bonus, nice aftermarketability and you get to keep the subie name! and by now, they're not that pricey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cookie Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 definition of a sports car. To me it means top down, good looks, sporty handling and good power. I look at the WRX as a neat sports coupe. I have never looked at the other Subaru versions much at all especially the rarer birds with reputations for mechanical quirks. I sure would like to see head gasket reliability a lot higher before I got a 2.5 with a turbo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mattocs Posted July 16, 2004 Share Posted July 16, 2004 isn't the WRX a sports sedan? o_0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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