Best 90s FWD coupe

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Discussion

aka_kerrly

12,449 posts

212 months

Wednesday 14th June 2017
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5harp3y said:
Audi TT can be had for that budget and will be the 'nicest' car to be in



you have no chance of finding a decent Fiat Coupe, Corrado etc for 2k that wont cost you the same again in year 1 to maintain

i wouldn't touch a ford Cougar with a barge pole, they weren't good when new
The TT although not strictly a 90s car is a good shout, they do appear to be very good value right now.

Regarding the notion of buying a £2k car that *could* need £1k spent on it, that risk exists with almost all cars at that price point.

When it comes to running older more specialist cars then you either have to be good with the spanners, have a friendly mechanic or be prepared to pay some bills for driving something more interesting than a Micra.

C.A.R.

3,969 posts

190 months

Thursday 15th June 2017
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406 V6 Coupe? Easily one of the best looking, IMO. V6 cambelt changes aren't cheap and there are lots that can go wrong (insert French rhetoric here) but someone has already suggested a FIAT Coupe so you'll be on a level playing field!

They sound lovely and feel very 'grown up'. They're quite practical, too. I nearly, nearly bought one at one point, but when there was a warning light for the boot lid being open (when it wasn't) and the electric sliding seat didn't want to play ball I decided to walk away.

TameRacingDriver

18,156 posts

274 months

Thursday 15th June 2017
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The Puma is a good shout actually. I had one, the handling was excellent for a FWD even with crappy tyres on it! Kept my mate honest across the country roads in his E46 328 despite his 65 bhp power advantage!

Never driven a Fiat Coupe but a made had and he said it was a strange car drive, devoid of any steering feel and feeling like a bit of a boat. There's no denying though that the 20vT has impressive stats and probably worth it for the engine alone.

Celica is another one I like. Probably 80% of an Integra Type-R, for beer money essentially. Make sure you go for the 190 model, I have the 1ZZ in my MR2, and while it copes alright in a very light car like the MR2, the Celica adds another 200 kg, so it's bound to feel sluggish.

You could also consider the older shape Celica. A 2.0 GT model with 170 bhp is within reach and probably just about as quick as the 190 newer shape.

They get a bad press on here but what about an FTO Mivec manual? 2.0 V6 engine with 200 bhp and an 8000rpm red line, and in with the manual and LSD probably quite respectable performance.

If you want something more GT like, and it has its fans certainly, what about a 406 V6 Coupe?

Nearly forgot to mention, you might get a leggy Corrado VR6 for that. Now THAT could be a bargain if you were lucky!

AlphaQuail

Original Poster:

33 posts

85 months

Thursday 15th June 2017
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Im not a dab hand with the tools so im either going to need to drop on lucky or learn at least the basics quite quickly but on a sub 2k car i could afford to take some time of some light restoration. I need a good engine and gear box really dont i? There the big big things that cost 1000s not 100s.

I was thinking celica mk6 in gt but im easy either way. Saw a 25th anniversary on autotrader for 400 quid but one side was all dented from front to rear wing so prob not...

I rang up about a puma for 1500 with aboit 25k on the clock but it had gone. I cant actually buy anthing until i sell my current motor and thats taking some doing!!

Going a little off piste i did AT search for any car in 20miles over 25 years (zero tax) and a 93 toyota corrola (ok 24 years) and thought that might be an interesting. Id use the remaining cash maybe to oem+ it shall we say


angels95

3,172 posts

132 months

Thursday 15th June 2017
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So much choice at this end of the market! I was in a similar position and came very close to buying a Celica GT, but it had already sold when I rang the seller up.

I ended up with a 306 GTI-6 and I'm absolutely loving it so far! Getting increasingly rare and prices are on the increase, so get one while you still can!