After some car buying advice please
Discussion
I'm just about to sell my current car and, being at the age where insurance is getting a lot cheaper, am looking for something powerful and fun to replace it. My kind of price range (£3.5k absolute maximum) gives me a lot of choice, in fact too much. So I'm looking for some advice from past or present owners as to what might suit me. The main criteria is that it is fast (i.e less than 7 to 60) fun and involving to drive, a manual and different. It needs to be reasonably easy to maintain, creature comforts would be nice but aren't essential. Rear wheel drive is preferred, but I could go with 4 if the car was good enough. It doesn't have to be easy to drive, practical or do good mpg, and doesn't matter if it's an import or not. So I've been thinking of the following:
R32 GTS-T - My number one choice; I love the looks even as standard and everything I've heard says they are brilliant cars to drive. I've been told they are almost as quick as the GTR due to them being lighter and easier to maintain. However, I've also heard of horrific running and repair costs.
Silvia/200sx - Again very fast, handle well and easy to tune. Would be cheaper to run and insure than a Skyline, but they are seriously dull to look at. Common as well.
Sil80/1via - As above really, but a lot rarer hence a lot more interesting. Finding one however may prove somewhat harder.
Impreza WRX Wagon - A lot rarer than a five door, loads of bits available and very cheap. But I won't be able to get to the end of the street without seeing another. Plus; tweed seats?!
MR2 Turbo - A very fast mid engined sports car for very little. But I've heard they aren't as reliable as you'd think, hard to work on, and vicious in the wet. Plus everyone will call me a hairdresser.
Legacy twin turbo - A real Q car, leaving most things for dead with your weekly shopping in the boot. Not very interesting to look at, and it still drives all 4 wheels
Pulsar/Sunny GTir - Once again, very fast and good to drive. I've also heard a lot of stories about the gearboxes falling apart and it still looks like a Sunny with a Halfords bodykit
Nissan Stega - It is, as far as I understand it, essentially a Skyline estate. So that could well be almost all the benefits without the image drawback
300ZX - Bit of a wildcard and would have to be the twin turbo manual. Very quick and sound awesome, but I have heard they fall off the road as soon as it gets twisty and are horrid to work on. The image of chest hair still lingers as well.
All advice very much appreciated. As I said I will have about 3-3.5k to spend and want something fun to drive, not something thats very quick but has no involvement. I won't be after a minter, I can put up with a few minor dents and faults. Likewise, engine mods are a definite bonus but not worried about stupid bodykits. Just something that isn't about to fall apart and is easy to sort if it did so. Thanks!
R32 GTS-T - My number one choice; I love the looks even as standard and everything I've heard says they are brilliant cars to drive. I've been told they are almost as quick as the GTR due to them being lighter and easier to maintain. However, I've also heard of horrific running and repair costs.
Silvia/200sx - Again very fast, handle well and easy to tune. Would be cheaper to run and insure than a Skyline, but they are seriously dull to look at. Common as well.
Sil80/1via - As above really, but a lot rarer hence a lot more interesting. Finding one however may prove somewhat harder.
Impreza WRX Wagon - A lot rarer than a five door, loads of bits available and very cheap. But I won't be able to get to the end of the street without seeing another. Plus; tweed seats?!
MR2 Turbo - A very fast mid engined sports car for very little. But I've heard they aren't as reliable as you'd think, hard to work on, and vicious in the wet. Plus everyone will call me a hairdresser.
Legacy twin turbo - A real Q car, leaving most things for dead with your weekly shopping in the boot. Not very interesting to look at, and it still drives all 4 wheels
Pulsar/Sunny GTir - Once again, very fast and good to drive. I've also heard a lot of stories about the gearboxes falling apart and it still looks like a Sunny with a Halfords bodykit
Nissan Stega - It is, as far as I understand it, essentially a Skyline estate. So that could well be almost all the benefits without the image drawback
300ZX - Bit of a wildcard and would have to be the twin turbo manual. Very quick and sound awesome, but I have heard they fall off the road as soon as it gets twisty and are horrid to work on. The image of chest hair still lingers as well.
All advice very much appreciated. As I said I will have about 3-3.5k to spend and want something fun to drive, not something thats very quick but has no involvement. I won't be after a minter, I can put up with a few minor dents and faults. Likewise, engine mods are a definite bonus but not worried about stupid bodykits. Just something that isn't about to fall apart and is easy to sort if it did so. Thanks!
thing is, if you have 3.5k max to spend, what will you do if you face a grands worth of clutch/engine/gearbox work in the first six months of ownership? because an imported jap sportscar will not be cheap to fix and as you're buying bottom of the market, the chances of getting one that DOES have something wrong with it are higher than if you are shopping at 6k. in my opinion.
Probably cheapest to run are the S13 200sx, or maybe an EG6 or EK9 JDM type-R civic (mid-90s)?
A UK MR2 naturally aspirated might be a good idea too. Turbos...again it might be expensive.
i would be very scared by skylines, 300ZX TTs, Evos etc in that price range...if something goes wrong, you could end up spending teh cost of the car again!!!
/edit: what about a Honda Prelude, N/A Celica or Mk3 Supra?
Probably cheapest to run are the S13 200sx, or maybe an EG6 or EK9 JDM type-R civic (mid-90s)?
A UK MR2 naturally aspirated might be a good idea too. Turbos...again it might be expensive.
i would be very scared by skylines, 300ZX TTs, Evos etc in that price range...if something goes wrong, you could end up spending teh cost of the car again!!!
/edit: what about a Honda Prelude, N/A Celica or Mk3 Supra?
Edited by Wadeski on Sunday 16th September 22:47
Edited by Wadeski on Sunday 16th September 22:49
I must admit that is what worries me about an import, I won't know how well its been looked after. On the other hand though, I know a lot of people who own imports of a similar price range, and they've all told me they have no more problems than any other car (plus most of the breakages are due to them abusing it.) I'm ok at mechanics and know people who are very good, so a breakdown wouldn't necessarily be the end of the world. What's more important is that said car would be easy and cheap to fix or find replacements for. Wouldn't consider a Prelude, Civic or N/A MR2 to be honest; the first 2 drive the wrong wheels and the other is far too slow. Buying a car that's slower than what I already have would be a step back.
But then, after owning a Citroen and an Alfa, anything will seem to have Lexus-esque build quality and reliability
Also forgot to mention a Soarer - fast with high spec, but mostly autos and more a cruiser than a sports car?
But then, after owning a Citroen and an Alfa, anything will seem to have Lexus-esque build quality and reliability
Also forgot to mention a Soarer - fast with high spec, but mostly autos and more a cruiser than a sports car?
I drive a Sportwagon WRX MY02 and that doesn't have tweed seats. I might be wrong but i don't think any of the impreza's had tweed seats did they?? 
For £3,5K you should be able to find a serviceable 95/96 Turbo Sportwagon in reasonable condition, and the sportwagons are much rarer than 4dr scoobs as well as being fast, great handling and everyday super practical. Dead easy to modify to get reasonable extra grunt for not a lot of money with sensible inexpensive tweaks.
For that money you may well find one that has been played around with a bit too. HAve a look at PH classifieds, lots of choice there whatever car you go for
For £3,5K you should be able to find a serviceable 95/96 Turbo Sportwagon in reasonable condition, and the sportwagons are much rarer than 4dr scoobs as well as being fast, great handling and everyday super practical. Dead easy to modify to get reasonable extra grunt for not a lot of money with sensible inexpensive tweaks.
For that money you may well find one that has been played around with a bit too. HAve a look at PH classifieds, lots of choice there whatever car you go for
Edited by ScoobieWRX on Monday 17th September 00:30
Can only comment on the R32 GTST , first off they arent anywhere near as quick as a GTR stock , but can be modified to 300hp without breaking the bank
Rust is the big issue with these especially around the rear arches and they need to be undersealed, interior must be good as well as decent secondhand trim is becoming rarer , 3.5k however should buy a good one
Rust is the big issue with these especially around the rear arches and they need to be undersealed, interior must be good as well as decent secondhand trim is becoming rarer , 3.5k however should buy a good one
Gassing Station | Japanese Chat | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff