What car under $8,000 would you buy to replace your twin?

[NoHaveMSG]

Originally Posted by strat61caster

Unless the interior is gross and rotted e30s deserve better than lemons, at least go to chump car.

Oh interior is completely wasted and nasty. Will be tyvek suits and respirators to gut it. Lots of mice have made it home. Then it will need pressure washed out.

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

https://classics.autotrader.com/clas...vair/101175859

@Tcoat, here's one for you on BaT but you would have to move fast..

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/19...vair-monza-15/

There are several cars on BaT right now I'd consider and they look like they will fall under $8,000.

[Tcoat]

Originally Posted by Dadhawk

@Tcoat, here's one for you on BaT but you would have to move fast..

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/19...vair-monza-15/

There are several cars on BaT right now I'd consider and they look like they will fall under $8,000.

Don't care for the first gen. They were the crappy ones that gave the model the bad name it never could shake.

[NWFRS]

One of the engineers at my first job had a Corvair turbo convertible. Not sure of the year. He also had a DeTomaso Pantera and a Ford model T that he sometimes drove to work on backroads. I always thought it was such a strange "collection" of cars. That's all he had as far as I know.

[Dadhawk]

Originally Posted by Tcoat

Don't care for the first gen. They were the crappy ones that gave the model the bad name it never could shake.

Didn't look at it too closely, yea I agree on that. I just noticed it was on your side of the border.

[Bluefire98]

5th gen prelude all the way. Base model with a manual. Not as good of a chassis but with double wishbone suspenion all around and imo a more fun engine (vtec yo), as well as a sleek body, that car is a steal at 3-4k. I miss mine. I don't think it could replace the frs since the car is fwd. But damn are they fun. Spend the extra 4k on wheels, tires, suspension, exhuast and some maintenance items, and you got yourself a solid fun dd.

[Will BRZ]

Originally Posted by Bluefire98

5th gen prelude all the way. Base model with a manual. Not as good of a chassis but with double wishbone suspenion all around and imo a more fun engine (vtec yo), as well as a sleek body, that car is a steal at 3-4k. I miss mine. I don't think it could replace the frs since the car is fwd. But damn are they fun. Spend the extra 4k on wheels, tires, suspension, exhuast and some maintenance items, and you got yourself a solid fun dd.

Hell yeah great looking car. I've seen a couple of them modified and I just love how they look. No bs if I would've bought that as my first car a couple years ago, I would probably still have it lol

[Dave-ROR]

Originally Posted by RToyo86

I'd like another one of those.
The problem here is finding a clean one that hasn't been killed by rust.

I know of a 2 owner one here that will be for sale soon. Florida car it's whole life.

[Dave-ROR]

Originally Posted by fatoni

the amount of people not saying miata leads me to believe that there is a large percentage of people saying things like "drivers car" or "slow car fast" or "momentum car" solely to excuse the shortcomings of this car without appreciating the things they are speaking about.

A Miata just doesn't meet a lot of people's requirements. I would buy one for an autocross car, track car or weekend car. But not a car I'd use daily, it's just not practical enough. And since not everyone autocrosses or does track days, having a car solely for a weekend car can be a bit much (of course I have several of them but whatever).

Also every car in the world is a momentum car. No car on this planet is faster if you slow down too much for corners. Really hate that phrase used to describe low horsepower cars.

[EAGLE5]

Originally Posted by Dave-ROR

A Miata just doesn't meet a lot of people's requirements. I would buy one for an autocross car, track car or weekend car. But not a car I'd use daily, it's just not practical enough. And since not everyone autocrosses or does track days, having a car solely for a weekend car can be a bit much (of course I have several of them but whatever).

Also every car in the world is a momentum car. No car on this planet is faster if you slow down too much for corners. Really hate that phrase used to describe low horsepower cars.

Low HP cars that can corner well are momentum cars. Once you modify a Corvette and a Miata with equal suspension and tires, the Miata is still passing on the Corvette on the outside. Momentum cars.

[Dave-ROR]

Originally Posted by EAGLE5

Low HP cars that can corner well are momentum cars. Once you modify a Corvette and a Miata with equal suspension and tires, the Miata is still passing on the Corvette on the outside. Momentum cars.

Yeah I understand why people say it, but it's still true that all cars have to corner quickly to produce fast lap times. Which means ALL cars need to maintain maximum momentum through corners. Which in turn means all cars are momentum cars.

And I haven't had any Miata's out corner my stock Camaro in advanced run groups so far.

I've certainly caught up to plenty of other cars though with my own "slow" but good handling cars (like the BRZs).

[EAGLE5]

Originally Posted by Dave-ROR

Yeah I understand why people say it, but it's still true that all cars have to corner quickly to produce fast lap times. Which means ALL cars need to maintain maximum momentum through corners. Which in turn means all cars are momentum cars.

And I haven't had any Miata's out corner my stock Camaro in advanced run groups so far.

I've certainly caught up to plenty of other cars though with my own "slow" but good handling cars (like the BRZs).

The higher the power, the later the desired apex, at least if there's a straight next. Cornering speeds may go down, but the laptime can go down too.

[KR-S]

Originally Posted by daiheadjai

Make sure you get a good test-drive including running it to redline.
I testdrove a 2003 Matrix XRS (I wanted the 2003 for the higher fuel-cutoff) but the thing felt like it wasn't even capable of hitting lift (it was warmed up already).

Thanks for the advice. Will keep that in mind when I attempt to look for one.

[Dave-ROR]

Originally Posted by EAGLE5

The higher the power, the later the desired apex, at least if there's a straight next. Cornering speeds may go down, but the laptime can go down too.

I know I don't have a lot of track experience and all.. but you are now talking about grip vs power. Give a 1,000HP car enough grip and it can follow the same line as a Miata. And it should if it's not grip limited putting the power down. This is also generally only the case in complex corner, in a normal corner every car will want to be full power as early as possible, low HP or high HP. I've even played with this specifically at Sebring following the so called "high HP" car line vs the "low HP" car line. My car has enough mechanical grip and I have enough throttle control to be faster on the "low HP" line. Lower laptimes/higher corner speeds through T10, and pretty much the same speeds from T11-T13 (within lap to lap margin of driver error) because the car can't overpower it's mechanical grip in those turns and at those speeds. Now the "high HP" line does allow for safety factor.. but so does driving 8/10ths. Maybe worth noting, the record lap for NASA TT2 at Sebring is a 650HP Camaro that's basically stock (tires, exhaust) and that driver uses.. the "low HP/momentum" line.

Now take a Miata and put some old terrible tires on it.. I think I'd go for the "high HP" line myself.

In many years of W2W racing I've always seen the fastest cars taking the same line.... sometimes those cars are Miatas.. sometimes they are Mustangs with V8s.. sometimes they are FWD cars..

I guess I could convince myself of a momentum car if there was a car and track out there where the car could be at top speed the entire lap only (by that I mean 1 speed the entire time) with a normal apex, never going late.. and certainly never early.

End of the day though, do whatever makes your laptimes the lowest - just don't early apex ha