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

Feel like $10K was a bit much and $5K was too little so $8,000 is just right lol Not necessary a like for like replacement, but what car in that budget would interest you? No I’m not looking to sell my car for a cheaper one lol just curious

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7z2bDHfiOdk[/ame]

8300 redline. 2200 pounds. its basically a lotus.
can find these cars for 4k or under, use the rest of the money for a 2zz swap.

Fiat 500e.

$8000 usd = $11700 aud


So......after looking at carsales....

2004 Mazda MX-5 NB Series 4 Manual with a hard top.

Fits some non negotiable requirements, light, manual and RWD being the most important.

Any Corolla/Matrix/Vibe XRS/GT from 2003-2006. I like the fact that they still have the powertrain of a Celica GT-S without all the flashiness (not a fan of the Celica's body style at all). I'm probably in the minority, but the fact that they don't stand out any more from their lesser trims makes them great cars for making cool little sleepers out of. I have a feeling that for the same reason, insurance isn't as expensive as the Celica or a twin, but I could be wrong on that front.

Out of those three, I'd look for a Corolla XRS since it's the lightest and nicest looking of the three.

Though, I'd buy one not to replace the FR-S entirely, but take its place as the daily driver instead.

Renault Clio RS 200 with Cup suspension and Recaro seats... Nice..

Integra GSR and save the difference on maintenance/mods.

I'm not a fan of black but how about this one?


https://www.iseecars.com/used_cars-t...d=100457204033


:burnrubber:

4th gen fbody
A dsm of some kind
Miata
Any gen MR2
Any ls based regular cab short bed gm truck

All sorts of bases for builds I've wanted to do.

none. which was led me to the brz in 2014 in the first place. my requirements still are rwd, manual, and must have a back seat/storage area. almost no other current cars meet those requirements.

They are not quite a Lotus because they weigh 200LBs more but they are a hell of a lot more comfortable and easier to get in and out of.

Hyundai Accent.

Not unless you want an RX8 350Z Shityear mustangs, aging 240sx.....

Same issue bud

3rd gen mr2 with a 2zz. Drove my buddy's before he sold it and, though not fast, was light and handled awesome!

I did buy a 6g celica as a project while I had my frs. Its finished now (3sgte swap, fmic, ecu, turned boost up, etc) and I absolutely love it. 3k total and over 300hp.

For daily driving or weekends?

I'd probably try to snag a 2nd or 3rd-gen MR2 for daily driving. Or a 2nd or 3rd-gen Miata. Or a VW Corado. For weekends I'd try to snag a 1st-gen Celica coupe, VW Scirocco, Lancia Beta coupe, Lancia Scorpion, Fiat 124 Sport Spider, Fiat 124 Sport coupe, Porsche 944, MG Midget, Triumph TR6, Triumph GT6, Datsun 240z, Datsun roadster, Datsun 510, BMW 2002, Porsche 914, Lancia Fulvia, Fiat 128 coupe, Honda S600, Opel GT, etc, etc.

Not sure. We were talking about a small pickup. I'm too big for other decent light sport cars.

That would be a pretty sweet pick up! Looks like it’s in pretty good shape and the price is great

I've been trolling for a non-racecar beater, and it turns out $8k doesn't get me anything I'd park on the street and be willing to drive, while also being useful and getting good fuel economy. Older Impreza hatch nearly fits the bill except for that last part... newer ones are still a few thousand more, at a minimum (seems '12+ is the version I'd require...) Having a 5x100 lug pattern would be a huge bonus.



I'd be willing to race a Miata at that price, but would need a third car for sure. Pretty much any other fun car I'd want a third - nothing else has the general utility of the twins. There really isn't anything enticing on the market though. It's a crappy time to be a car enthusiast if you don't want to spend $$$.

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

The three requirements for my FRS right now are RWD, usable rear seats when necessary, and fun at the track.

For that price range, I think my only option would be an e36 M3. My preference would be a 3-4-5 car, but not sure I could find one for that price. I guess a G35 or Genesis 3.8 might works as well, although I've never tracked either one.

I'm helping pick out a daily for someone that is cheap to run and maintain. Right now looking at 7th generation honda accord and 8th generation honda civic. If those don't work out a hooptie camry is on the list.

$8k? Salvage title twin.

Or BMW 1 Series with high miles, or a E30 project and $6,000 to build it with. Crap, now I'm off to Auto Trader....

NB2 Miata, NC Miata, Toyota MR2 Spyder.

Also an oddball: E46 330ci w/ ZHP

That was the exact scenario i went through. I was digging around Craigslist for 240sx's looking for a decent one when i came to the realization that most were around $5-10k, but needed another $10k in work to be both reliable and not look like a rotted out pumpkin. So for an extra $10k, i got a car with a lively playful, non-4dr-platform chassis that requires minimal maintenance for the first 10 years.

I've thought about this quite a bit, FRS is my only car so this would be my DD and weekend fun car.
Boxster
3rd gen MR2
Z3 Coupe (non M)

Honorable mentions:
8th gen Civic Si (all MT, K20 8k redline vtec with an LSD)
IS300 (double wishbones 2JZ sedan)
Fiesta ST, maybe Focus ST
500 Abarth
Maybe E36 or E46 or 5 series but unlikely, Z3M vert is also squeaking into budget but the clownshoe is more appealing to me even with the smaller motor

RX8 and 350Z are as close as you'll get to a true 86 replacement, good cars imho but I want to try something else for awhile.
Edit: NC Miata is a bargain, nicer to live with than an NA/NB but would rather try a six cylinder vert. C5 Corvette is also close to being in budget but a tired 90s GM interior might not outweigh the benefits of a good chassis and an LS for me.

I feel like I'd be tempted to try the E9X 335i platform again, but I'd also like something different. To say something other than "MR2, Celica, Corolla etc.", I'd love a 5th gen Prelude to modify and keep clean or an S2000 to keep stock and enjoy. I'd also consider a Boxster, Eclipse, and a few others.

Just saying, it's now extremely difficult to get a 2ZZ swapped MR2 Spyder past smog inspection in California. You need a lot of work to get a BAR sticker since they're more strict about it, and smog stations are being more strict too. 8k is probably not going to cut it.

On a tight budget, I think it would be feasible to do:
-Apexi PFC (these hold their value well, so maybe you could consider it as not being part of the budget)
-forged high compression pistons
-reground intake cam
-MWR valve springs + retainers
-ported head, shaved for more compression

R&R + labor would run 3k, upgraded bits run about 2k, and you'll get close to 2ZZ + stock header power while appearing stock since you have the ability to tune it. You should be able to run such an engine at 8000rpm pretty safely.

If you can stand the styling, I think NC2 Miatas are a pretty good deal. I kind of want to vomit when looking at them though...

I'm currently hunting down a high mileage S2000 as a toy. The prices are dropping rapidly.

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.

I'm willing to give the ND a try when it comes down a bit in price. The engine needs to apart so I can make it spin faster :) I think the ND is a beautiful, well designed car, needs a little work though.

The thing i don't like about the miata is the interior space. I've never liked it simply because there's no way i can sleep in one on a road trip.

C5 vettes interior electrical/hvac system is like if a GM rep took apart a german vehicle and then explained it over a poor phone connection to the designers back in the US.

Watch some videos on the audio system, and if that doesn't do it, know that most of the hvac system is vacuum operated.. a buddy has/had(was going to sell it) a c5 with an audio issue. Needed me to pull the amp to send it off to a specialized repair shop. It took me almost 1.5 hours, with the youtube video to get it out. And it was like performing open heart surgery in the space station.

I saw a 2ZZ swap MR2 sell for pretty cheap recently. The price was tempting, but then I read that the seller was having a really difficult time getting the car to pass smog in CA so he was unloading it. That's a shame because it seems like a great pairing of a high-revving engine with variable valve lift to a lightweight RWD MR chassis for not too much coin.

The NC2 Miatas are a good deal, but it'd be tough passing on a NA/NB Miata for the money if I was in the market.

Any ideas why S2000 pricing is coming down? I always figured they would hold their prices (similar to the Elise market), but maybe the ND2 Miatas are having an effect?

My guess is impending economic downturn...

S2k prices have shot through the roof in the last few years. Earlier this year it was really hard to get a 100k mile car for under 13k, which is kind of nuts.

Now there's more of them coming on the market and not many people buying. There's a ton of low mileage cars asking in the 20s or 30s or even 40s, but I think only the practically new mint condition ones are selling.

If it were me, I would not spend 30k on an S2000...I'd get a used Elise (they're all in great condition) and spend a few k on the motor for reliability. Ferrea valves and retainers, forged pistons, rear mount oil cooler, and either a dry sump or my electric scavenge pump idea.

Recessions are the best time for buying cheap shit. I will give you $5... It might be a while for the next one though...

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I want an AW 11 MR2 with a 2zz or an F20c in it.

I had a 97 Chevy Venture growing up, it's the same systems :lol: but it's a great engine in a very good chassis, probably the fastest track car you can buy for $8k right now.

The only reason to buy an 86 is because you want to sacrifice some "drivers car" aspects for practicality because a Miata is just a downright better sports car. This board exists entirely of people who looked at a miata and said "I can't/won't make that work for my life" and your surprised Miata isn't the top choice?

I'd get a 93 Impreza 2 door and give is an STI driveline swap with an EJ20g. And if I have time, I might vacuum the carpet too.

Presuming that a 93 still has carpet of course.