Desperate need for some rwd suggestions
Discussion
wjb said:
Are you simply after big engine/power rwd coupe for around 15k?
If so, I'd be looking at the following;
M6
M3 (e92)
Slk 55 amg
Jag xkr
And of course, a Monaro...
No Im looking for something special, the whole purpose of starting the thread was to see if there were any rwd car options I hadn't considered. I have been looking for over a year now, Ive owned a lot of cars over the years and haven't found my brand or perhaps I like the search more than the purchase...If so, I'd be looking at the following;
M6
M3 (e92)
Slk 55 amg
Jag xkr
And of course, a Monaro...
I would say the E34 M5 is probably the best drivers car I have owned, Ive had an E46 M3 it wasn't for me, nor was a E39 M5 yet others rave about them.
Im very grateful to all the people who have taken time to offer suggestions, its been a sort of car-a-holic's therapy session for me
Thanks for the suggestions all of the above are good options the Monaro probably gets closest as its more DIY friendly which is a requirement rather than dealer diagnostics.
g8ape said:
I reckon you'd be shovelling £10k and probably nearer £15k into a ?£3k + car, there are some RX8's on Autotrader going 'clank' for under £1k, but I think its a labour of love v's a commercially viable endeavour. Monaro makes more sense doesnt it?
Yes and no.I went through similar to you and bought a Monaro mine had and exhaust and tune.
But it's heavy and was designed as a cruiser not a Sports car the ratios are stupidly high.
The 6 litre VXR is far better than the standard car - basically 400bhp 1700kg so 235bhp/ton but combined with the gearing it's not that quick at all.
If you can find one that has been tuned, exhaust, suspension, low ratio axle - IE someone else has spent £10k+ on then it might be getting interesting but it is still HEAVY.
The same running gear in an RX8 which would be circa 1400kg would be 285bhp/ton ie you'd have to add 85bhp to the Monaro to be in with a chance - PLUS sorting the gearing and handling.
V8RX7 said:
Yes and no.
I went through similar to you and bought a Monaro mine had and exhaust and tune.
But it's heavy and was designed as a cruiser not a Sports car the ratios are stupidly high.
The 6 litre VXR is far better than the standard car - basically 400bhp 1700kg so 235bhp/ton but combined with the gearing it's not that quick at all.
If you can find one that has been tuned, exhaust, suspension, low ratio axle - IE someone else has spent £10k+ on then it might be getting interesting but it is still HEAVY.
The same running gear in an RX8 which would be circa 1400kg would be 285bhp/ton ie you'd have to add 85bhp to the Monaro to be in with a chance - PLUS sorting the gearing and handling.
That's very useful thanks! The Monaro I drove years ago didn't live up to my expectations that'll be the weight and gearing then.I went through similar to you and bought a Monaro mine had and exhaust and tune.
But it's heavy and was designed as a cruiser not a Sports car the ratios are stupidly high.
The 6 litre VXR is far better than the standard car - basically 400bhp 1700kg so 235bhp/ton but combined with the gearing it's not that quick at all.
If you can find one that has been tuned, exhaust, suspension, low ratio axle - IE someone else has spent £10k+ on then it might be getting interesting but it is still HEAVY.
The same running gear in an RX8 which would be circa 1400kg would be 285bhp/ton ie you'd have to add 85bhp to the Monaro to be in with a chance - PLUS sorting the gearing and handling.
A RX8 V8 is quite appealing, I'm struggling on the cost side of things to justify it but the uniqueness and sort of sleeper (if an RX8 can be one) aspect works as well + RX8's are so cheap especially thinking of likely condition & spec, it would almost be silly not to...
g8ape said:
No Im looking for something special, the whole purpose of starting the thread was to see if there were any rwd car options I hadn't considered. I have been looking for over a year now, Ive owned a lot of cars over the years and haven't found my brand or perhaps I like the search more than the purchase...
I would say the E34 M5 is probably the best drivers car I have owned, Ive had an E46 M3 it wasn't for me, nor was a E39 M5 yet others rave about them.
Im very grateful to all the people who have taken time to offer suggestions, its been a sort of car-a-holic's therapy session for me
Thanks for the suggestions all of the above are good options the Monaro probably gets closest as its more DIY friendly which is a requirement rather than dealer diagnostics.
Have you driven any Porsches?I would say the E34 M5 is probably the best drivers car I have owned, Ive had an E46 M3 it wasn't for me, nor was a E39 M5 yet others rave about them.
Im very grateful to all the people who have taken time to offer suggestions, its been a sort of car-a-holic's therapy session for me
Thanks for the suggestions all of the above are good options the Monaro probably gets closest as its more DIY friendly which is a requirement rather than dealer diagnostics.
g8ape said:
That's very useful thanks! The Monaro I drove years ago didn't live up to my expectations that'll be the weight and gearing then.
A RX8 V8 is quite appealing, I'm struggling on the cost side of things to justify it but the uniqueness and sort of sleeper (if an RX8 can be one) aspect works as well + RX8's are so cheap especially thinking of likely condition & spec, it would almost be silly not to...
If you pay someone (like Craig) I suspect the total bill for a 6.0 LS2 would be at least £15k and I think you'd struggle to sell it for more than £10kA RX8 V8 is quite appealing, I'm struggling on the cost side of things to justify it but the uniqueness and sort of sleeper (if an RX8 can be one) aspect works as well + RX8's are so cheap especially thinking of likely condition & spec, it would almost be silly not to...
If you built it yourself it could cost under £10k but DIY builds can take years.
ATM said:
Have you driven any Porsches?
I had a 996 turbo with hybrid turbos, exhaust and remap, haven't driven a 924, got close to buying a 928 at an auction once. Ive owned a 4.5s Cayenne and really like the Turbo but don't need one. Ive driven a 993 turbo, Boxsters don't do it for me, Ive been in a passenger in a Panamera and Cayman. Really wish I'd bought a 993 turbo 5 years back when the prices were still eye watering but not as nuts as they are now.In your initial post you mention pushing the budget - what is it now?
If you could slightly higher than the £25k you mentioned, i would strongly recommend a test drive in one of these - http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...
Rare and one of the most enjoyable, involving cars I have driven and doesnt break your back!
If you could slightly higher than the £25k you mentioned, i would strongly recommend a test drive in one of these - http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...
Rare and one of the most enjoyable, involving cars I have driven and doesnt break your back!
V8RX7 said:
If you pay someone (like Craig) I suspect the total bill for a 6.0 LS2 would be at least £15k and I think you'd struggle to sell it for more than £10k
If you built it yourself it could cost under £10k but DIY builds can take years.
Thank you! Exactly pretty much what i'd thought. I would need to fall in love with the RX8 to justify the time & expense, I love the idea of it though but have sufficient experience of big projects to know its never as smooth a process as you hope.If you built it yourself it could cost under £10k but DIY builds can take years.
If you were guaranteed to make a profit or even break even it would justify the decision. I'm going to arrange a drive of an RX8 very soon as the car std (engine concerns aside) appeals to me anyway. If it did go pop a rebuild would be ?£3k isn v's 3 to 5 times that for a V8 conversion.
A friend has recently bought a 5.7 Jeep Cherokee 05, its a huge amount of car for the money (not rwd but a very flexible thing). Ive found a few SRT8's for sale and am wondering if one of those for a daily driver would work as I don't have to do any regular journeys now-a-days.
Then perhaps an RX8 as a project car would work, my other previous fun car top ten list included an Elise, Caterham, Z4m, Z3M, stripped E46 M3, Cerebra or Tuscan, but the RX8 idea is starting to trump them.
I know Ive moved the budget goal posts but this whole thread has help'd me realise Im trying to roll to many options into one car and it's impossible to do.
g8ape said:
V8RX7 said:
Yes and no.
I went through similar to you and bought a Monaro mine had and exhaust and tune.
But it's heavy and was designed as a cruiser not a Sports car the ratios are stupidly high.
The 6 litre VXR is far better than the standard car - basically 400bhp 1700kg so 235bhp/ton but combined with the gearing it's not that quick at all.
If you can find one that has been tuned, exhaust, suspension, low ratio axle - IE someone else has spent £10k+ on then it might be getting interesting but it is still HEAVY.
The same running gear in an RX8 which would be circa 1400kg would be 285bhp/ton ie you'd have to add 85bhp to the Monaro to be in with a chance - PLUS sorting the gearing and handling.
That's very useful thanks! The Monaro I drove years ago didn't live up to my expectations that'll be the weight and gearing then.I went through similar to you and bought a Monaro mine had and exhaust and tune.
But it's heavy and was designed as a cruiser not a Sports car the ratios are stupidly high.
The 6 litre VXR is far better than the standard car - basically 400bhp 1700kg so 235bhp/ton but combined with the gearing it's not that quick at all.
If you can find one that has been tuned, exhaust, suspension, low ratio axle - IE someone else has spent £10k+ on then it might be getting interesting but it is still HEAVY.
The same running gear in an RX8 which would be circa 1400kg would be 285bhp/ton ie you'd have to add 85bhp to the Monaro to be in with a chance - PLUS sorting the gearing and handling.
A RX8 V8 is quite appealing, I'm struggling on the cost side of things to justify it but the uniqueness and sort of sleeper (if an RX8 can be one) aspect works as well + RX8's are so cheap especially thinking of likely condition & spec, it would almost be silly not to...
You want something that feels special, is unusual and is easy to work on yourself. It also needs to be a manual RWD coupe, ideally with a proper engine in.
You're writing the brief for a Monaro, honestly. It's as near to a muscle car as you can get RHD, you either buy one stock and tweak it to your taste, or you buy one that somebody else has tweaked that has the bits on you want.
Plenty of owners over in the HSV & Monaro section, and I'm sure they'd be happy to take you out in theirs. There's only a few hundred of each model in the UK, so you won't see another one on the road, most people don't know what they are, and anything with a 6 litre engine that makes the car rock and shudder is going to feel special, trust me, it really does
g8ape said:
but this whole thread has help'd me realise Im trying to roll to many options into one car and it's impossible to do.
Tell me about it, I keep trying cars - only a few are in "my garage" on here yet I find I run multiple cars to get what I want.The most used is my Forester but it's also the dullest despite it's many mods.
The other problem with running multiple cars is when they go wrong you jump in another - I have 4 needing fairly minor work sitting in the garage.
Herbs said:
In your initial post you mention pushing the budget - what is it now?
If you could slightly higher than the £25k you mentioned, i would strongly recommend a test drive in one of these - http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...
Rare and one of the most enjoyable, involving cars I have driven and doesnt break your back!
Thank you! I hadn't considered those. Being a bit old skool in age and attitude I would value one of those as 5 and a bit Fiesta ST's, the theory being if my financial world collapsed what sub £4.5k car would still entertain, get to the tip & vets and be in good sunday polishing condition.If you could slightly higher than the £25k you mentioned, i would strongly recommend a test drive in one of these - http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2016...
Rare and one of the most enjoyable, involving cars I have driven and doesnt break your back!
My years of lust-buy-regret-loose-start again car buying means that a self imposed £15k regret budget I can live with, where at £25k my extreme self loathing would kick in big time.
Some would say Im over thinking this but as Sheldon would say 'I don't get to talk about trains (cars) anything like as much as I would like'
This I guess is the whole crux of my failure to find another car quickly, its the what else could you have bought for the money and if thats divisible by more than one perceived good car then I stall again, gonna have to 'nut up'
so called said:
If that had a 3rd seat in the middle I'd be at it like a bull at gate SturdyHSV said:
Get a Monaro with a supercharger on then. Plenty of people have done it. 600+bhp really helps with that excess weight problem
You want something that feels special, is unusual and is easy to work on yourself. It also needs to be a manual RWD coupe, ideally with a proper engine in.
You're writing the brief for a Monaro, honestly. It's as near to a muscle car as you can get RHD, you either buy one stock and tweak it to your taste, or you buy one that somebody else has tweaked that has the bits on you want.
Plenty of owners over in the HSV & Monaro section, and I'm sure they'd be happy to take you out in theirs. There's only a few hundred of each model in the UK, so you won't see another one on the road, most people don't know what they are, and anything with a 6 litre engine that makes the car rock and shudder is going to feel special, trust me, it really does
I think you may be right 'resistance is futile' You want something that feels special, is unusual and is easy to work on yourself. It also needs to be a manual RWD coupe, ideally with a proper engine in.
You're writing the brief for a Monaro, honestly. It's as near to a muscle car as you can get RHD, you either buy one stock and tweak it to your taste, or you buy one that somebody else has tweaked that has the bits on you want.
Plenty of owners over in the HSV & Monaro section, and I'm sure they'd be happy to take you out in theirs. There's only a few hundred of each model in the UK, so you won't see another one on the road, most people don't know what they are, and anything with a 6 litre engine that makes the car rock and shudder is going to feel special, trust me, it really does
Thank you!V8RX7 said:
Tell me about it, I keep trying cars - only a few are in "my garage" on here yet I find I run multiple cars to get what I want.
The most used is my Forester but it's also the dullest despite it's many mods.
The other problem with running multiple cars is when they go wrong you jump in another - I have 4 needing fairly minor work sitting in the garage.
Ive just sold a Forester XT running 303.8 bhp (the 0.8 made all the diff) it was a bit dull, and the 220 max range...The most used is my Forester but it's also the dullest despite it's many mods.
The other problem with running multiple cars is when they go wrong you jump in another - I have 4 needing fairly minor work sitting in the garage.
So what we are saying is that whatever I buy there will be at least another 3 in focus that I should also buy...
So to negate that I need to buy 3 cars at once, I like it! That'll be a Jeep 6.1 SRT8 an RX8 or Monaro and a Fiesta ST for emergencies, Jeep = £14k, RX8 = £5k, Monaro = £12k, ST = £4k.
Im going to have to sell my wife's car & my sons gaming equipment but I think its doable
g8ape said:
Ive just sold a Forester XT running 303.8 bhp (the 0.8 made all the diff) it was a bit dull, and the 220 max range...
So what we are saying is that whatever I buy there will be at least another 3 in focus that I should also buy...
So to negate that I need to buy 3 cars at once, I like it! That'll be a Jeep 6.1 SRT8 an RX8 or Monaro and a Fiesta ST for emergencies, Jeep = £14k, RX8 = £5k, Monaro = £12k, ST = £4k.
Im going to have to sell my wife's car & my sons gaming equipment but I think its doable
What did you do to your XT ? I've decat, live remap, exhaust and got 273bhp. Now lowered on standard WRX suspension and 17" Outback alloys, WRX 4 pots and uprated rear ARB. When you need to get A-B with the kids and possibly dog in all weather it's the best car for the job but it's dull.So what we are saying is that whatever I buy there will be at least another 3 in focus that I should also buy...
So to negate that I need to buy 3 cars at once, I like it! That'll be a Jeep 6.1 SRT8 an RX8 or Monaro and a Fiesta ST for emergencies, Jeep = £14k, RX8 = £5k, Monaro = £12k, ST = £4k.
Im going to have to sell my wife's car & my sons gaming equipment but I think its doable
Yes I've always run at least 3 cars - Supercharged MX5 you cannot get more smiles per mile this side of a kitcar, quick semi sensible 4 seater, and then a pick up (2.8 P100 / F150 / Ram) or a van to carry my toys / stuff.
The guy who bought my LS2 RX7 also ran a Jeep SRT and IIRC a dull company car.
V8RX7 said:
What did you do to your XT ? I've decat, live remap, exhaust and got 273bhp. Now lowered on standard WRX suspension and 17" Outback alloys, WRX 4 pots and uprated rear ARB. When you need to get A-B with the kids and possibly dog in all weather it's the best car for the job but it's dull.
Yes I've always run at least 3 cars - Supercharged MX5 you cannot get more smiles per mile this side of a kitcar, quick semi sensible 4 seater, and then a pick up (2.8 P100 / F150 / Ram) or a van to carry my toys / stuff.
The guy who bought my LS2 RX7 also ran a Jeep SRT and IIRC a dull company car.
My Forester was a 2002 JDM 2.0 XT 4eat, 177bhp std with 27k miles when I bought it, I fitted a VF34 roller bearing turbo, STi injectors, Process West TMIC, Turbo Smart BOV (still got it as it's awesome), Samco induction & coolant pipes, H&S sport cat & S/S full system, RCM A/C delete bracket & put a Gates belt & pulleys on it, it was mapped by JGM to 303, I also fitted 235/50 x 17" tyres on Revolution Millenium 6 spokes (black) it very much up set a Focus ST driver who had a massive sulk about his rally rep being completely destroyed by a shopping car! Yes I've always run at least 3 cars - Supercharged MX5 you cannot get more smiles per mile this side of a kitcar, quick semi sensible 4 seater, and then a pick up (2.8 P100 / F150 / Ram) or a van to carry my toys / stuff.
The guy who bought my LS2 RX7 also ran a Jeep SRT and IIRC a dull company car.
I also owned a 2004 2.5xt manual at the same time but the 4eat was a nicer drive and cruised at slightly lower revs, weird but better. I like the Subaru moon roof it's a shame the STi's don't have them...
Another SRT8 owner perhaps it's fate...?
g8ape said:
so called said:
If that had a 3rd seat in the middle I'd be at it like a bull at gate Funny thing was, I had been at home a couple of weeks earlier and told my Wife I was going to buy a pickup.
She kind of said "what ever" but after trying out a couple, I dropped the idea and bought a TVR Cerbera
Then I got to Aus and discovered one of these monster.
My colleague was driving me round in his, 6,3ltr Holden
Its a real shame GM are closing them down
Firewall here wont let me post pics
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