**RWD Project** What to look for??

[slow_hatch]

Well i've been wanting a fun RWD car for some time now, and i'm just looking into my options. I have been searching around and have some ideas on what I would want, and consider. I dont know what i'll do with my hatch if I end up with anything, but who knows. So anyways it needs to be semi cheap to start with.

Some ive thought about

Datsun 510 (Had to put it in there b/c its my dream car :D )
240sx (hype :thinking: )
Corolla AE86
Miata (pop up light one)
RX7 (earlier year model)
or maybe an older Datsun pickup (hey it could be fun :yes: )

What you guys think i should do? Should I just keep on going with my EF?>?

[GT-S Boy]

ae86! i had one, still want one, fun to drive, slow, maybe not as slow as your ef :P, but you will sure get alot of attention :)

[TheDarkRacer]

Fc3s. Tubro. Can be a killer car that sounds oh so diffrent, and be able to rev up to like 11k. ;) they can hit 8grand stock. hehe... but find one that is still running.... unless you have $$ for new housings and new rotors on top of the price of a rebuild, or you are planning to do this over a good bit of time...

[slow_hatch]

Fc3s. Tubro. Can be a killer car that sounds oh so diffrent, and be able to rev up to like 11k. ;) they can hit 8grand stock. hehe... but find one that is still running.... unless you have $$ for new housings and new rotors on top of the price of a rebuild, or you are planning to do this over a good bit of time...

Thats the thing. I know nothing about rotarys other than the basics, so it would definatly be a challenge. Depending on the intial cost, I could spread it out over time. The corolla on the other hand looks like it could be had for cheaper, and easier to build. :thinking:

[Thighs]

rotaries are junk unless you have $$$ out the ass. everything else up there would be good, esp. a miata. im not just saying this b/c i have one, but if you think about it, theyre amazing.

-good gas mileage, unlike ANY rx7.
-EXTREMELY reliable, again unlike an rx7.
-with a little $ invested, can be VERY fast.

if you buy a 240, regardless of how nice or what you do with it, you will be grouped in with all the dR1FteRz and ricers.
corollas are sick but itll be hard to find an unmolested, straight, rust free one for cheap. 510s are just hard to find. lol.

have you thought about a e30 BMW?

[driftyboy]

Well since I've owned a few of those choices, I'll pitch in some advice.

S13 - Ya everyone has them, but it's for a reason. They're very available for pretty cheap, they upgrade nicely, and aftermarket is huge.

AE86 - My favorite car (My current car)!! Tons of fun. A stock GT-S will do whatever you want it to decently (autoX, drift, look good). Aftermarket is decent.

NA(Miata) - Another fun car. I personally thought the convertible was going to be cooler than it actually was. The car shook very bad when going over bumps around town. I upgraded a few things like frame braces, new shocks, chassis welding, but still couldn't 100% get it as solid as a non-convertible. Probably just needed a roll-cage, but I never got around to that. And they're not very practical for everyday use. You basically get a tiny trunk for storage and that's it. They're not for everyone, is basically my point. On a positive note, the knowledge base at www.miata.net is HUGE. They have so many write ups you'll never have to ask a question about it. (I owned my '90 Miata for a while that's why I have so much info.)

FC3S - Well the one I owned was a PoS, so I don't necessarily know if they're all old and crappy... lol. I had a '89 non turbo. I did all the maintenance upgrades first, and it still ran like crap. Had trouble starting up on cold days. I didn't really how I sat inside of it either, just too laid back. And the blind spots are HORRIBLE since it just has a rear hatch window, no rear quarter windows. Rotary engine was pretty cool, and different. But being that it is so different I felt like a big noob when opening the hood.

I didn't really mean to be too harsh on the Mazda's. They're just not for me. Anyways, hope this helps a little.

- Drifty

[Jecht]

Well since I've owned a few of those choices, I'll pitch in some advice.

S13 - Ya everyone has them, but it's for a reason. They're very available for pretty cheap, they upgrade nicely, and aftermarket is huge.

AE86 - My favorite car (My current car)!! Tons of fun. A stock GT-S will do whatever you want it to decently (autoX, drift, look good). Aftermarket is decent.

NA(Miata) - Another fun car. I personally thought the convertible was going to be cooler than it actually was. The car shook very bad when going over bumps around town. I upgraded a few things like frame braces, new shocks, chassis welding, but still couldn't 100% get it as solid as a non-convertible. Probably just needed a roll-cage, but I never got around to that. And they're not very practical for everyday use. You basically get a tiny trunk for storage and that's it. They're not for everyone, is basically my point. On a positive note, the knowledge base at www.miata.net (http://www.miata.net) is HUGE. They have so many write ups you'll never have to ask a question about it. (I owned my '90 Miata for a while that's why I have so much info.)

FC3S - Well the one I owned was a PoS, so I don't necessarily know if they're all old and crappy... lol. I had a '89 non turbo. I did all the maintenance upgrades first, and it still ran like crap. Had trouble starting up on cold days. I didn't really how I sat inside of it either, just too laid back. And the blind spots are HORRIBLE since it just has a rear hatch window, no rear quarter windows. Rotary engine was pretty cool, and different. But being that it is so different I felt like a big noob when opening the hood.

I didn't really mean to be too harsh on the Mazda's. They're just not for me. Anyways, hope this helps a little.

- Drifty

Quoted for truth.

Miatas are very fun and cheap, but aren't as practical. I still want a Miata. My S13 was fun but unless you have the money to upgrade the suspension, don't plan to do anything other than understeering everywhere. I wouldn't want a rotary since their reliability is questionable. AE86s aren't bad cars (I've never driven one though), but they do look very out of date and are mostly just old cars that need lots of repairs.

Personally, I would go for a S13 or Miata. Depends on how much you need that extra space, etc.

[Repost Squintz]

get a nissan hardbody! and drop a rb motor in it!
u can drift and haul parts!

[slow_hatch]

get a nissan hardbody! and drop a rb motor in it!
u can drift and haul parts!

My thoughts exactly :D I have a 89 Dodge Dakota already, I may just drop a 360 in it to get my RWD fix :D

[Thighs]

miatas dont shake b/c of a weak chassis, the shake b/c its a stiff chassis.

[cdhtang]

FC, or 240sx. There are more aftermarket supports for your upgrades.

[Thighs]

more than a miata?
id say that as long as were talking about brand name or high-quality parts, their close to the same...

[OneSlow5pt0]

1st gen RX-7.........thats probbly next car ill grab for a project

but miatas a great cars

[Z32redondo]

Get one of those AWD celica's from way back when lol. Or a 280Z an be fun.

[OneSlow5pt0]

Get one of those AWD celica's from way back when lol. Or a 280Z an be fun.

i want a all trac so bad...........:D

[kingkong]

The truck would be awesome. Do a motor swap and lower it and you are ready for anything.

[IronEagle]

I want to build a 10th Anniversary FC with a 4G63 swapped in.

[IronEagle]

http://fototime.com/A0179436F99E984/standard.jpg

[AV8ter]

Kinda off topic, nut I think there is a build up on a mazda forum where a guy took a 1988 b2200 mazda truck, and integrated rx7 suspension, and a klze.


kevin

[Doppelgänger]

wow...... what a list of unreliable cars!

[slow_hatch]

wow...... what a list of unreliable cars!

LOL, yeah. Guess i'll just keep the honda :D

[Doppelgänger]

seriously, to make any of those cars decently fast, you're looking at spending at least $2000...on just bumping HP, not even suspension or anything else. None of those cars have n/a motor swapps available that make a half sh!t bit of power.


if i were you, i'd get a E30 BMW. You can get a 4-door car with a HUGE aftermarket support, lots of people that know how to work on them and a nice torquey straight 6.... and there are many verious motor swapps for them.

[slow_hatch]

seriously, to make any of those cars decently fast, you're looking at spending at least $2000...on just bumping HP, not even suspension or anything else. None of those cars have n/a motor swapps available that make a half sh!t bit of power.


if i were you, i'd get a E30 BMW. You can get a 4-door car with a HUGE aftermarket support, lots of people that know how to work on them and a nice torquey straight 6.... and there are many verious motor swapps for them.

Yeah, this is true. I'd like to keep the honda aswell, so i'd be on a budget. My wife has an '82 Bmw 320i w/ a bad motor. Swap it?? lol

[LeX]

always wanted to have a 510 project car... never been able to find one that wasn't total **** from the money (you can bring one in from across the country but i like to see first in person) and then 900+ for a good shipping carrier too

[Kalifornia087]

I'll throw in my input, since i've owned every car on that list except for the Datsun 510. And they are just too damn expensive for a nice one anyway.

Its a bit of a novel. But a good read.

240sx: Huge aftermarket obviously. Not fast, but not as slow as a corolla or a miata stock. Usually tough ass cars. Fun to drive, cheap, and easy to control at their limits.

AE86 corolla: Dont bother with an Sr5 unless you REALLY want to spend money, and still be slow, and have weak axles and ****. A GTS isn't so bad if its been taken care of. My GTS had a rebuilt motor in it, and ran pretty good. But generally, you will spend a lot of time under the hood of these cars fixing little ****. Not the case with mine, but with a good friend of mines, and most people i know will vouch. If you drive it hard, it will break. Enough aftermarket to make handle good or great. Slow. But fun!

Miata: Man what a hella fun car. As long as you don't have to store anything, great cars. They are exremely reliable. They handle good stock, and better with some koni shocks and some springs, and there is a lot of aftermarket for the cars. Mine was a 91, so it had a 1.6, but don't let people fool you. My friends 97 (1.8) only put about a half a car on me from a little fun 60-100 run. And the 1.6's rev happy nature makes it seem a bit more peppy.

RX-7: Don't listen to idiots who just bash on rotaries. You just have to not be an idiot when you buy one. Naturally Aspirated rx7s are TOUGH. My 88 FC took 30-40k miles of straight up ABUSE from me. I learned how to drift in it, had it sitting at redline on the track so many times. So many burnouts, donuts, mountain runs. It still runs to this day. Friend of mine owns it lol.
FBs (first gens) are usually equally as tough, you just have to due more tune ups and sometimes they are harder to start in the winter due to having a carburator. But basically you just have to look for things when you buy one and learn what to stay away from.
I can definitely help with that.

Also i would heavily consider an E30 as well. They are bulletproof cars. They make more torque and a little more horsepower than any car on that list, and still super reliable. And they have a HUGE aftermarket due to SPEC E30 racing and what not. Very fun cars. You can find 4 doors for cheap, or 2 doors for a little more, but still well priced. Toss an exhaust on it and enjoy that deep inline 6 sound. It will autocross, drift, grip, whatever.
And you still have a trunk, and room for a few friends (eps. in a 4 door lol).

If you decide to look for an Rx7, let me know i'll help you find one.
And if you think your going to buy an E30, definitely hit me up because i can DEF find you one of those lol, seeing as to where i work...

We did get a 320 in the other day, i forgot to see if it had a motor. I will check on that in the next day or so.

Austin

[slow_hatch]

Thanks for your imput. What ballpark fiqure i'm I looking at for an E30??

[Thighs]

you can find a decent e30 for anywhere between 2-4k, and thats for a relatively nice one. i was actually looking for one recently but i only had 2k at the most. i found a miata for 1700 so i bought it lol

[Kalifornia087]

Thanks for your imput. What ballpark fiqure i'm I looking at for an E30??
Depends on what comes along and what your looking for.
Right now at work we have a white 4 door 325i thats an 89 or so (small euro style bumpers :) ) for $1500 bucks. But its auto, so you'd have to convert it if you want a 5 speed, but thats not really hard.
But generally you can find a pretty nice "I" for around 2k and up. Sometimes cheaper if you dig.
"E" cars are dirt cheap (like my 2 door, you should buy it!!! LoL), can be found for under 1500 bucks in great shape bodywise and running. For example, mines up for sale for a grand. Dig around and spend anywhere from 400-800 on an "i" motor and drop it in, and your set for under 2 grand, drop some springs and shocks in one and have a good time!

Just depends what you want. They can be found for cheap. Or really cheap, and fixed!

Austin

[chituntang]

How much is your budget? Or you are planning to put more as you go? Because I have done a S14, and with basic upgrades (turbo/engine swap, suspensions), you are looking at around 4-7k (DIY or pay someone else). So you are looking around 10k to have the car done nicely. On a S13, there are tons of swapped ones selling around 5k with nice mods. Within 10k, you can get a 300whp S13.

Never owned a FC, but you can get a T-II for about 4k, then some upgrade will put you at about the same price as the S-chassis (Sorry for FC fans, I was going to buy a T-II FC, but the power that it gives is just not what I expected. That guy told me his FC has about 220whp but it really feels slower than my S14 when it was stock. I guess torque has a lot to do with it...).

E30 BMW are nice, my ex-boss had one 325 2door. It is an auto so it feels really heavy. I am pretty sure a manual swap will solve it along with some kind of power upgrade.

Not going to talk about AE86.

Over all, I will still pick a S-chassis because of the interior. There is not wrong with the others, but S-chassis's interior just is not in the 80's.

S13
http://www.carismallc.com/TempPics/SilviaInterior.jpg
FC3S
http://www.rotarymazdas.com/PhotoBucket/albums/userpics/10001/normal_20%7E0.jpg
E30
http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/images/spece30/spece301102interior.jpg
AE86
http://www3.sympatico.ca/caldart/images/AE86-Driver.jpg

[OneSlow5pt0]

im sorry but my 7 had a nie interior......and it felt pretty good for a $1k car

[David88vert]

RX7 is easily the easiest car out of the bunch to maintain and make power on. I have owned many rotarys of all 3 gens. If you want a really fast car, buy an old Spec7 racecar that is still street legal, then drop a TII motor in it. If you know what you are doing, you can easily make about 250rwhp reliably in a car that weighs 2200lbs (w/full int). With minor mods, the car will easily outhandle most modern sports cars, and an old Spec7 car will already have the suspension.

The second best car would be the Miata. Bullet-proof, and Spec-Miatas are available as well. Drop a supercharger on a 1.6 and it will scream.

[wannab20hatch]

i saw this and immediately thought of an e30. i thought i wanted a miata brad and then i rode in that dinan m3 at my dads work and wow i want a euro. look around and see if you can find an e30m for cheap. gotta love the m motor and the factory widebody :)

[StraightSix]

My wife has an '82 Bmw 320i w/ a bad motor. Swap it?? lol

I, personally, have a soft spot for the E21 320i. It was my first BMW. The only swap I'd seriously consider for a budget build would be the M10 engine from a E30 318i. Any other engine and you would need to find a very rare front cross member.

I've considered replacing my 944 with a S13 240SX and even an RX-7. I think both cars have decent chassis designs and reasonable after market support.

I think any of the more modern chassis would make for a good project. I would stay away from the 510. The reason is that those cars are 30+ years old and finding one in reasonable shape to restore will be difficult.

[StraightSix]

i saw this and immediately thought of an e30. i thought i wanted a miata brad and then i rode in that dinan m3 at my dads work and wow i want a euro. look around and see if you can find an e30m for cheap. gotta love the m motor and the factory widebody :)

Good luck. Cheap for a E30 M3 is about $8,000. Good examples in driving condition will run $10,000 - $15,000. Plus, the S14 engine in the E30 M3s is not budget friendly.

[Thighs]

^^ why would you put a nissan motor in a bmw?? wtf?

put in a e30 325e v6. LOTS of torque.

[Elbow]

I-6 ^

[Elbow]

Get a Miata. VERY VERY reliable, supposed to be fast in turns, so of course it cost money to make them CRAZY fast straight line using the STOCK motor. FUN FUN cars!!!

[chituntang]

I did not say the RX7 interior is sh*tty. I am saying it feels like it is in an earlier time as it was designed in the early-mid 80's where the S13 is designed in the mid-late 80's.

[k4rr]

Get a sc300

[Crazy Asian]

Out of those bunch hrm hard choice but for reliability and omg lots of aftermarket get the S13 or AE86. Rotary's in my opinion are bleeping a if you live up north ga where it drops to like 20 degree's. And trust me RX8 will not start up in those weather climate AT ALL!!!The list of complaints of those not starting up so Mazda gave it the engine heater or something. Though it's nice to have and if it's gonna be garaged they by all means jump on a RX-7 if not be very careful.

[Elbow]

Miata < S13 reliability wise, owned both.

[Thighs]

good catch on the v6 thing... my bad i was tired.

and idk about the s13 being more reliable...