Best "quick" car bang for buck?

[rrutter81]

My brother is looking for some used cars but i know him and he wants to change from the old v8 world of mustangs to tuner boosted vehicles. Just curious what would be the best bang for his buck as far as "quick" car with asthetic appeal.

eg: hatch is out of the question lol

Right now he is looking at the later 90 model talons. Just looking for suggestions. Figure 400ish hp bolt on would be nice. However he will do some building if it is worth it.

[87 Turbo II]

What is the "buck" budget?

[nreggie454]

What is his price limit? We need to know what "his buck" is.

Edit: ^LOL^ beat me by a few seconds.

[rrutter81]

sorry guys, he has 5 grand to spend (he is a bar tender) but he brings in around 3k a week during the "right times". Just depends.

I was thinking he could buy a talon for 2-3k and drop the rest in whatever mods. Although some talons are selling for 5gs modded already.

[Motivation]

sorry guys, he has 5 grand to spend (he is a bar tender) but he brings in around 3k a week during the "right times". Just depends.

I was thinking he could buy a talon for 2-3k and drop the rest in whatever mods. Although some talons are selling for 5gs modded already.

Well, DSMs are easy to make very fast... BUT, like any car, if you use cheap parts to hit higher hp the more your car will be in the shop. Whatever he does, spend the extra money for quality parts.

[rrutter81]

Well, DSMs are easy to make very fast... BUT, like any car, if you use cheap parts to hit higher hp the more your car will be in the shop. Whatever he does, spend the extra money for quality parts.

i agree, hence why he refers to me. Unfortunately iim tired of doing the research, figured this forum could point me in a "plausible" direction.

btw i said the awd talon is the way to go imo for cheap reliable ass whooping from a dig. Seen some mean ass talons/eclipses.

[Sir_Christopher]

get a dune buggy on boost!!! that would be EPIC and no one has one haha

[rrutter81]

get a dune buggy on boost!!! that would be EPIC and no one has one haha

this made me lol in RL !

[Motivation]

i agree, hence why he refers to me. Unfortunately iim tired of doing the research, figured this forum could point me in a "plausible" direction.

btw i said the awd talon is the way to go imo for cheap reliable ass whooping from a dig. Seen some mean ass talons/eclipses.

:no: Honestly, the cheaper it goes the more the reliability goes. If he does get a Talon/Eclipse, make sure it is a 6 Bolt or has a 6 bolt swap into it. Crank walk sucks and 7 bolts are more prone to them...

But, I have to wake up in 3 1/2 hours for work... So I'm out for the night... I'll respond more later to this thread. Later.

[rrutter81]

:no: Honestly, the cheaper it goes the more the reliability goes. If he does get a Talon/Eclipse, make sure it is a 6 Bolt or has a 6 bolt swap into it. Crank walk sucks and 7 bolts are more prone to them...

But, I have to wake up in 3 1/2 hours for work... So I'm out for the night... I'll respond more later to this thread. Later.

noted, thx for the help. and wtf about 3 1/2 hours...gtfo and sleep...jeez

[atlxpat]

srt4,wrx,evo
pretty much anything turbo charged will get you lots of power for cheap

[rrutter81]

srt4,wrx,evo
pretty much anything turbo charged will get you lots of power for cheap

not for 5 grand unforunately

[BlkCD5]

Does he have a daily driver? If he wants to build one up, there is a shell going for $600

[OnURleft]

It's hard to say.. A talon could work. Also you could get a 325is if you wanted quality and a car that will last forever and still look/drive awesome. There are very high quality turbo kits out for them from race shops and if you pair it with good tuning on the factory obd1 ecu (you can get that done here at this place in georgia) you can make 400whp easy on the stock motor. Not to mention they are peppy N/A. Tuning and bolt on's can get you low 14's

[seanrg1116]

http://www.3sx.com/store/cars-3sx/steve-vr4-2005-03-24-photo-shoot-056-450edge.jpg

Speed

Style

Comfort

[Motivation]

noted, thx for the help. and wtf about 3 1/2 hours...gtfo and sleep...jeez

Actually it turned into a little less than 3 hours of sleep. :cry: But oh well...

Anyways, what does he really want to do with his car? Will he be daily driving it, weekend car, or etc.... In my honest opinion, with the money he brings home a week, tell him to save up a little more and get a higher budget for a car and get something that really catches his eye. There are unlimited amounts of cars that have potential to go fast. It just depends on how he wants to do it... Right now, the best thing to do is to start shopping around. There are many people out there that have put a lot of money in their cars, and with the economy they need to sell relatively cheap just to pay bills. So it would be easier for him to get a good deal on something now...

[Motivation]

http://www.3sx.com/store/cars-3sx/steve-vr4-2005-03-24-photo-shoot-056-450edge.jpg

Speed

Style

Comfort

I like that one better than the red one you had posted up... Even though I've heard some bad things about these cars, you hear that about every car. They have never really caught my eye though, I've never rode in one though so I am not sure how they ride or perform. Is the aftermarket pretty big for these cars? That hood makes it look like he wants to look like a Viper. ha.

[seanrg1116]

The best part about these is the exhaust that opens up with the push of a button and active suspension that is the same way. Plus the leather seats are very comfortable, and its a 2+2 (you could not fit a small dog in the back seat) so that saves you big on insurance.

[atlxpat]

ouch 5 grand, cant do much with that

yea like what some others said above talon,dsm's are the only way to go unless im forgetting something. But i've heard from ppl that their are unreliable out the wazoo

[rrutter81]

http://www.3sx.com/store/cars-3sx/steve-vr4-2005-03-24-photo-shoot-056-450edge.jpg

Speed

Style

Comfort

i traded my 3000gt in for this cobalt. it was quick in the 90s but they kind of cant compete with the stuff now. The styling on it is rocking tho, hands down a chick magnet.

Didnt realize talons were unreliable. t.t

thx guys on the input.

[Motivation]

i traded my 3000gt in for this cobalt. it was quick in the 90s but they kind of cant compete with the stuff now. The styling on it is rocking tho, hands down a chick magnet.

Didnt realize talons were unreliable. t.t

thx guys on the input.

The reason most DSM's are unreliable, is because the owners are cheap in their builds and they don't maintain them very well. You know the mods to my car already, but it has been great for me. No problems. *knocks on wood* You don't keep a car maintained they have a tendency to break. Granted my car is not a Talon, it's an eclipse gsx, but it's pretty much the same thing all around. Most of the 7 bolts are the reason dsm has a bed rep. Because of the crankwalk... I love my dsm, wouldn't trade it.

[DieselNuts]

My brother is looking for some used cars but i know him and he wants to change from the old v8 world of mustangs to tuner boosted vehicles. Just curious what would be the best bang for his buck as far as "quick" car with asthetic appeal.

eg: hatch is out of the question lol

Right now he is looking at the later 90 model talons. Just looking for suggestions. Figure 400ish hp bolt on would be nice. However he will do some building if it is worth it.
I know he is looking for import status, but my buddy knows of an 03 Cobra w/a salvage title going for $13k. Not sure whats wrong with it, but i can find out if you would like.

[cactusEG]

a DSM..

[bigdare23]

I'm kinda bias, but I would boost a cheap honda. Find a cheap EF hatch or CRX. Perform the need maintance on it. Find a cheap z6 and rebuild it with tuner toy rods ($250) and vitara pistons ($80), then boosted. With the proper setup, you can easily make 300hp+. 300hp in a car around 2000-2200lbs is more than enough to run with some 400-500hp cars.

[bigdare23]

I'm kinda bias, but I would boost a cheap honda. Find a cheap EF hatch or CRX. Perform the need maintance on it. Find a cheap z6 and rebuild it with tuner toy rods ($250) and vitara pistons ($80), then boosted. With the proper setup, you can easily make 300hp+. 300hp in a car around 2000-2200lbs is more than enough to run with some 400-500hp cars. If you look the right places you may be able to achieve that within your price range

[rrutter81]

The reason most DSM's are unreliable, is because the owners are cheap in their builds and they don't maintain them very well. You know the mods to my car already, but it has been great for me. No problems. *knocks on wood* You don't keep a car maintained they have a tendency to break. Granted my car is not a Talon, it's an eclipse gsx, but it's pretty much the same thing all around. Most of the 7 bolts are the reason dsm has a bed rep. Because of the crankwalk... I love my dsm, wouldn't trade it.


oh like our engines, people cheap out and pop pistons because they skimp out on a 150.00 heat exchanger. Interesting, this is looking good.


I know he is looking for import status, but my buddy knows of an 03 Cobra w/a salvage title going for $13k. Not sure whats wrong with it, but i can find out if you would like.

ill send him text about it since he loves his mustangs. good price for it.

[Tracy]

I say 240. DSM's break :)

[rrutter81]

I say 240. DSM's break :)

ive seen broken 400hp 240s too

[Tracy]

ive seen broken 400hp 240s too


Duh. I'm just giving suggestions bro (like you asked). I have owned a shop for almost 8 years and seen A LOT of cars come and go. My man has built every car you can think of with every swap you can think of. MY OPINION is that the 240 is the best bang for the buck. I'm pretty sure you aren't going to build a 400 whp 240 for 5k. So, that isn't really an issue, is it??? In MY OPINION and EXPERIENCE, DMS aren't very reliable. I also had an 800 awhp Evo for a few years and it NEVER broke. Obviously, it depends on the quality of components you choose and who does the work. Stock for Stock, IMO AGAIN, 240 is the most reliable with DSM's being the least reliable. Then when you talk about adding HP, I still think, IN MY OPINION, that the 240 has the best potential for HP upgrades with the least amount of money.

[rrutter81]

Duh. I'm just giving suggestions bro (like you asked). I have owned a shop for almost 8 years and seen A LOT of cars come and go. My man has built every car you can think of with every swap you can think of. MY OPINION is that the 240 is the best bang for the buck. I'm pretty sure you aren't going to build a 400 whp 240 for 5k. So, that isn't really an issue, is it??? In MY OPINION and EXPERIENCE, DMS aren't very reliable. I also had an 800 awhp Evo for a few years and it NEVER broke. Obviously, it depends on the quality of components you choose and who does the work. Stock for Stock, IMO AGAIN, 240 is the most reliable with DSM's being the least reliable. Then when you talk about adding HP, I still think IN MY OPINION that the 240 has the best potential for HP upgrades with the least amount of money.

relax man, i have heard some negatives on the 240 and value all opinions. Especially since you see what goes on. Its obvious he wont get 400 hp on 5 grand, although some talons sell for 4 and have 300 already. Thanks for the tips, as for reliability ill let him decide if he wants to sacrifice awd for it.

[Sport1.3]

one word, Cavalier

[Tracy]

relax man, i have heard some negatives on the 240 and value all opinions. Especially since you see what goes on. Its obvious he wont get 400 hp on 5 grand, although some talons sell for 4 and have 300 already. Thanks for the tips, as for reliability ill let him decide if he wants to sacrifice awd for it.

For the record, I'm a chick :) and I am relaxed :) I just wanted to clear up that it was only MY OPINION and I wasn't into actually debating the subject. :) I didn't see where you said anything about it having to be AWD. Only that he was looking into Talons. Maybe One Sleeping Talon will chime in on the reliability of the DSM's since he had two race cars and it's his specialty. I already know what he will say. I'll see if I can get him to post for ya.

[Sport1.3]

late 80's alltrac celica - $1200
3rd gen 3sgte/trans - $2500

thats 260 hp outta the box and $1300 left to mod. the 3s can easily handle 500+ without being opened up and the has a beefy drivetrain
:dunno:

[rrutter81]

late 80's alltrac celica - $1200
3rd gen 3sgte/trans - $2500

thats 260 hp outta the box and $1300 left to mod. the 3s can easily handle 500+ without being opened up and the has a beefy drivetrain
:dunno:

interesting ill look in to it. always good to look at other options. Especially if the 3s are that strong stock.


one word, Cavalier

repost? lol

[Sport1.3]

interesting ill look in to it. always good to look at other options. Especially if the 3s are that strong stock.



i have a friend from MR2oc that is making in the low 700's on an unopened 200k miles + stock motor. He uses it for hill climb events and rarely see's issues with it...though i would not try and see that power for any type of dd

[OneSlow5pt0]

Foxbody mustang /thread

[Sport1.3]

Foxbody mustang /thread


re-read the first post you retard lol

[OneSlow5pt0]

re-read the first post you retard lol

lol,well idk why he switching seems liek hes downgrading....lol

well if i get back into imports my plans were 6th gen Celica with 4age blacktop or MX3 with KLZE

[m3dic8d]

You can find a 2g gsx for around 5-6, but like the other guy said you have to worry about crankwalk with them... 1g's are dirt cheap, probably best performance for the money but hard to find one that has had all the maintenance done to it and you usually will have to play catch up as stuff breaks that the previous owner(s) neglected to maintain.

I had a 98 GST and the previous owner really didn't do any of that stuff, my car spent more time at 4g than it did in my garage lol. I'd still get one again, I loved that car... best bang for the buck if you don't mind working on it a good bit

[zracin]

300ZX

[Motivation]

300ZX

:no:

[x Resilience]

Supra MKIII Turbo.

He can get 400+ out of it easily.

[2turbo4u]

DSM enough said!

[87 Turbo II]

Miatawith suspension and tires.

[Sir_Christopher]

this made me lol in RL !


ha, it would be a beast!! and street legal. he could Pwn guys with mopeds!!!

[93delsol15]

anything made by mitsu. minus the evo is gonna be very unreliable unless done right and tuned to perfection tell him to buy a 240 boost the stock KA and lay 300 to the wheels on a safe tune or he can take the latter route and do a red top swap or an rb25 swap and have tons of power to play with.

[Stormhammer]

Starion

cheap as hell, mods are easy to come by, a 4G63 drops right in.

So for say, $4000 tops, you can have a 450whp car with a HUGE aftermarket, in a RWD configuration for what you would pick up a decent AWD 1G for :D

[koi]

A 4g63 starion is on my wish list. ::Drool::


93delsol- You need to remember. The evo is a newer car. We really haven't seen what they will do with some age on them. To add to that, I have seen my fair share of evo's having to get worked on. But that's the price you pay for making power.

[Bruce Leroy]

Starion

cheap as hell, mods are easy to come by, a 4G63 drops right in.

So for say, $4000 tops, you can have a 450whp car with a HUGE aftermarket, in a RWD configuration for what you would pick up a decent AWD 1G for :D


If a 4g is so easy to swap into a starion, why the hell does everyone bust their balls with the g54b?

[PSINXS]

dodge colt, galant vr-4

sr20 240sx

[Sport1.3]

Starion

cheap as hell, mods are easy to come by, a 4G63 drops right in.

So for say, $4000 tops, you can have a 450whp car with a HUGE aftermarket, in a RWD configuration for what you would pick up a decent AWD 1G for :D


assuming the Starion was free, how do you still figure you could make 450whp from a starion for $4000.....assuming this isnt a GRM type challenge. It would have to be a rediculously cheap build and wouldnt last very long......i know, i've seen how much my roomate has already spent on his 4g swap. $1800 alone in the motor work, $250 for the car, who knows how much for the 19c built and balanced, wheels, tires, clutch/pressure plate/flywheel/steel shift fork etc etc etc...he has easily spent $6k and that doesnt include the coilovers and other misc suspension parts.......it also still isnt running with the 4g63 motor lol

[fivex684]

My 850R was 5k and I love it. It's quick, leather and suede interior and insane sleeper status. Some other cheap quick cars are the GVR4, TSI, GSX, XR4TI, SHO and CSVT

[Thighs]

e30s?

[Tracy]

:no:x2

[93delsol15]

A 4g63 starion is on my wish list. ::Drool::


93delsol- You need to remember. The evo is a newer car. We really haven't seen what they will do with some age on them. To add to that, I have seen my fair share of evo's having to get worked on. But that's the price you pay for making power.

i feel ya and i have a bud that is laying a little over 650 to the wheels in his evo and he is constantly tearing that car down but i was reffering simply to stock cars and yes the evo is newer but dsm`s have always been unreliable.

[Motivation]

My first 1g eclipse I had, it had over 240000 miles on it and ran perfect... Until my brother totalled it. I know a lot of ppl with DSMs that have well over 200k miles on them. It is all in the maintenance... Which is the case for all cars.

[m3dic8d]

My first 1g eclipse I had, it had over 240000 miles on it and ran perfect... Until my brother totalled it. I know a lot of ppl with DSMs that have well over 200k miles on them. It is all in the maintenance... Which is the case for all cars.
If your car (the car in your sig) is Pat's old one I don't think I knew him when it was EVER running 100%. Yeah it ran, but something was always broken...

[greasemunkey]

assuming the Starion was free, how do you still figure you could make 450whp from a starion for $4000.....assuming this isnt a GRM type challenge. It would have to be a rediculously cheap build and wouldnt last very long......i know, i've seen how much my roomate has already spent on his 4g swap. $1800 alone in the motor work, $250 for the car, who knows how much for the 19c built and balanced, wheels, tires, clutch/pressure plate/flywheel/steel shift fork etc etc etc...he has easily spent $6k and that doesnt include the coilovers and other misc suspension parts.......it also still isnt running with the 4g63 motor lolDon't hate on Dan's starion lol, its worth every penny.

[VooDooXII]

If you're looking at stock cars on a dollar per horsepower ratio...the Saturn Ion Redline and the Pontiac GTO 6.0 are the best value in that respect.

[m3dic8d]

If you're looking at stock cars on a dollar per horsepower ratio...the Saturn Ion Redline and the Pontiac GTO 6.0 are the best value in that respect.

That made me lol in rl

[VooDooXII]

That made me lol in rl

Yea well...look at the car for what it is. It really isn't that bad.

[Motivation]

If your car (the car in your sig) is Pat's old one I don't think I knew him when it was EVER running 100%. Yeah it ran, but something was always broken...

It is his old car, and those problems have been taking care of. ;)

[rrutter81]

bro bought a 93 talon AWD tonight for 1200. Needs a head gasket and possibly a water pump/ t-stat. Seems to overheat after 10 minutes of driving. Either way he has quite a few $$$ to put in to it.

Some questions though, it is turbod and has a cyclone intake manifold i believe, boost controller and other aftermarket goodies. anyone recognize this IM if it is popular? Think the exhaust is 3.5 inches from what the seller said. Clutch is new, bad tires, mint interior, minor cosmetic defects on the exterior.

oh yea and can the ecu be tuned?

[Motivation]

bro bought a 93 talon AWD tonight for 1200. Needs a head gasket and possibly a water pump/ t-stat. Seems to overheat after 10 minutes of driving. Either way he has quite a few $$$ to put in to it.

Some questions though, it has a turbo on it with a "cyclone" emblem on the top of it, boost controller and other aftermarket goodies. anyone recognize this turbo if it is popular? Think the exhaust is 3.5 inches from what the seller said. Clutch is new, bad tires, mint interior, minor cosmetic defects on the exterior.

oh yea and can the ecu be tuned?

It should have an EPROM ecu in it already...

Post up the numbers that are on the turbo (model number, serial number if you have it) and I will give you the info you need for the car. It might have a cyclone engine (swap) in it, which is pretty much the same exact thing as a stock set up.

That exhaust is WAAAAAAAAAY to big if that means the piping is 3.5".

[rrutter81]

It should have an EPROM ecu in it already...

Post up the numbers that are on the turbo (model number, serial number if you have it) and I will give you the info you need for the car. It might have a cyclone engine (swap) in it, which is pretty much the same exact thing as a stock set up.

That exhaust is WAAAAAAAAAY to big if that means the piping is 3.5".


yea i agree on the exhaust piping,

the thing looks like a 4G63 to a tea. i cant give any more info than that as i looked at it at night and told him it was worth it imo to have as a playtoy. Carbon fiber hood even on it. I can give better info when i look at it possibly this weekend.

as far as tuning, is there anyway i can use a software to plug in to the odb port and redo it? or do i have to chip it? sorry for my ignorance, ive been in the domestic world too long.

[Motivation]

It's the same motor as a 4G63.

DSMlink would probably be his best friend as far as software goes... VFAQ.com is also going to be something that he wants to put in his "favorite" list on the internet... He's going to need it a lot...

[twinj]

RSX:ninja:

[Motivation]

RSX:ninja:

Think it might be too late for suggestions as he already picked up the car. :tongue1: lol

[twinj]

^^Oops

[se-riousr]

i think that all wheel drive is fun but what fun is it when u have a short 1 gear. but u already have the car but a 240 or a se-r can make over 400 with less then 5k just ask some people about the red se-r and we did that less then 2k with good parts. but good luck on the car

[Fr33way]

Did anyone say FC with a swap?

[Fr33way]

Think it might be too late for suggestions as he already picked up the car. :tongue1: lol

Shite. :ninja:

[rrutter81]

He got the head off after getting a manual and looking online.

Anyway this is where he was at before yesterday. He will get it back Thursday, resurfaced, cleaned and valves checked.

http://img357.imageshack.us/img357/5121/1109081953yq3.jpg (http://img357.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1109081953yq3.jpg)

[Sport1.3]

Don't hate on Dan's starion lol, its worth every penny.


I dont hate it, i'd still love to see it with the 4g/19c combo running...would be sick....but those cars are money pits

[§treet_§peed]

get a dune buggy on boost!!! that would be EPIC and no one has one hahaone of my bestfriends dads has one... he is putting down around 350 something tq to the ground and like 390 something hp.. it will wheelie thru 5hth gear... its supercharged and fully built.. stree legal btw..;)

[§treet_§peed]

get a dune buggy on boost!!! that would be EPIC and no one has one hahaone of my bestfriends dads has one... he is putting down around 350 something tq to the ground and like 390 something hp.. it will wheelie thru 5hth gear... its supercharged and fully built.. stree legal btw..;)

[Motivation]

one of my bestfriends dads has one... he is putting down around 350 something tq to the ground and like 390 something hp.. it will wheelie thru 5hth gear... its supercharged and fully built.. stree legal btw..;)

we read you the first time. :taun:

lol, that's pretty awesome though

[§treet_§peed]

my bad my shit fucked up lol it froze when i left and then i guess it said fuck you sum bitch imma post again!!!