YACT: Something fun for 10k

[geno]

My gf might want to trader her 96 camry in for something more "fun". She's always wanted either a Jetta or an Eclipse...

either one she gets, I want it to be a turbo and if possible... 5 speed (if she's willing to learn)

hey, I wanna have fun with it too! 😉 Anyways, I'm curious about alternatives... I'm going to suggest an Integra as well and see if she likes it. Any other ideas for that much money? I want something decently quick.

 

[RgrPark]

You can find a super fast used 90-96 Nissan 300ZX twin turbo for that price if you are lucky. But i doubt your GF can handle it.

 

[Cfour]

The Jetta would be the most practical option out of all three of your possibilities.. so if you're in it for that, go for the Jetta. Speed factor would be like a 2g Turbo Eclipse, but I think you can get those for well under 10k.

 

[geno]

Originally posted by: RgrPark
You can find a super fast used 90-96 Nissan 300ZX twin turbo for that price if you are lucky. But i doubt your GF can handle it.

Oh yes, that crossed my mind - however insurance would be off the wall... no can do 🙁

Cfour, what model Jetta comes with the 1.8t?

 

[CraigRT]

S14 240SX would be my vote.. those are sweet. 😀

 

[gregshin]

i would say SRT-4

240s are sweet but i dont think you want to deal with the engine swap for the turbo. Although you can build a 240 and turbo it by swapping or building up the engine cheaper then buying a SRT-4...also 240s are RWD

 

[Cfour]

Originally posted by: geno

Originally posted by: RgrPark
You can find a super fast used 90-96 Nissan 300ZX twin turbo for that price if you are lucky. But i doubt your GF can handle it.

Oh yes, that crossed my mind - however insurance would be off the wall... no can do 🙁

Cfour, what model Jetta comes with the 1.8t?

I just ran a quick search and it looks like you'd be in anywhere from a 98-2000 Jetta for $10k with decent mileage. I checked the GL, GLS, GLX that were around that price, and none had the 1.8t, so maybe they didn't even have it for those models years? I'm not sure. Maybe a VW expert could chime in?

Personally, I would look for a GTP 😀 But of course I like Pontiacs (most of them). The 3800 is a bullet-proof engine and will prove to be very reliable, while easily outpacing the Jetta (if performance is what you're after). For $10k, you could get into a '99-'00 GTP with 50k-70k miles.

 

[Cfour]

Originally posted by: gregshin
i would say SRT-4

240s are sweet but i dont think you want to deal with the engine swap for the turbo. Although you can build a 240 and turbo it by swapping or building up the engine cheaper then buying a SRT-4...also 240s are RWD

He said $10,000.. srt-4 is upwards of $20k

 

[geno]

Originally posted by: gregshin
i would say SRT-4

no can do, this car has to be pretty damn close to paid off after the summer, which is why I wanna keep it under 10k if possible. That was my first thought though when she agreed to sell the Camry 😀

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Originally posted by: CraigRT
S14 240SX would be my vote.. those are sweet. 😀

His girlfriend wouldn't be able to appreciate it-- it's not very powerful, or fun, unless you can use that RWD.

 

[gregshin]

then i go with a 91-94 240sx with a SR20DET motor swap. Everything about it is a perfect swap. You can find an old 240 for about $1000-3000 and a SR20DET clip for about $2000-4000 pending on which version motor you want. That leaves money for larger intercoolers and other goodies. =)

Or you can get a MR2 turbo also

 

[gregshin]

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis

Originally posted by: CraigRT
S14 240SX would be my vote.. those are sweet. 😀

His girlfriend wouldn't be able to appreciate it-- it's not very powerful, or fun, unless you can use that RWD.

have you ever ridden in a SR20DET motor swap one?

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Originally posted by: gregshin

Originally posted by: WinkOsmosis

Originally posted by: CraigRT
S14 240SX would be my vote.. those are sweet. 😀

His girlfriend wouldn't be able to appreciate it-- it's not very powerful, or fun, unless you can use that RWD.

have you ever ridden in a SR20DET motor swap one?

Do you think his girlfriend is going to swap in an SR20DET?

 

[geno]

Originally posted by: gregshin
then i go with a 91-94 240sx with a SR20DET motor swap. Everything about it is a perfect swap. You can find an old 240 for about $1000-3000 and a SR20DET clip for about $2000-4000 pending on which version motor you want. That leaves money for larger intercoolers and other goodies. =)

Or you can get a MR2 turbo also

she'll slap me if I say we're replacing her 96 Camry with an older car 😉 It's S14 or bust when it comes to the 240SX...and I won't buy an S14 unless it's got the mean eyes (97-98)... I'll still get one with hopes of a swap down the road.

 

[BatmanNate]

The Jettas have a lot of electrical problems that seem to surface on this board pretty frequently, and Integras are slow. The Eclipse isn't too fast either, but girls really like the looks of them for some reason. My vote would go to a 91-95 MR2 Turbo, a 91-92 Supra Turbo, an early 90's 300ZX TT, or maybe a 3000GT VR4 if you can find one in that price range. Those all are faster options below 10k, and more importantly have the potential to be quite a bit faster. Might have to go a little bit older, but it's still not that old. Eclipses have very high insurance rates also if you look into it.

 

[geno]

and Integras are slow

It'd be a GS-R, it's decently powered @ 170HP, the rest of the cars you mentioned would be killer on insurance. And she won't go for a car that's older than the one she has already (no MKIII Supras..) I'm gonna run the MR2 by her and see what she thinks, but I highly HIGHLY doubt she'll want a 2 seater 🙁

 

[mAdD INDIAN]

I'd say Integra GS-R or Prelude, but those are insurance nightmares (for her anyway).

So my economical suggestion is a 95-99 Maxima SE 5-spd. Get the nicest one that comes in her price range. Its cheap on insurance (compared to Prelude/Integra GS-R), its faster than both, handles decently (much better with shocks/RSB), and very comfortable inside. Plus theres enough room in the back for both of you. 😉 😀

Seriously look into it. Its more fun than it appears, which is the whole appeal. And admit it, you know you want to fun 14.7s in a stock family sedan!

 

[BatmanNate]

Originally posted by: geno

and Integras are slow

It'd be a GS-R, it's decently powered @ 170HP, the rest of the cars you mentioned would be killer on insurance. And she won't go for a car that's older than the one she has already (no MKIII Supras..) I'm gonna run the MR2 by her and see what she thinks, but I highly HIGHLY doubt she'll want a 2 seater 🙁

It is pretty difficult to find a turbo MR2 in decent condition anyway, so probably the better on that. Just for giggles, have her underwriter quote her for insurance rates on all the prospective vehicles, you may be surprised. Eclipses are very high, and Integras are (in my area anyway) pretty high on the commonly stolen car list, so if she's full coverage that may affect her rates. I don't know much about the Jettas other than all the problem thread posted here and around the web, though. She'll be missing out on the mKIII Supras, lots of aftermarket following, they can be wicked cars. 😀

 

[geno]

Yeah a V6 5sp Maxima crossed my mind, I'll look into it 😀

 

[MistaTastyCakes]

I think an Eclipse would be a unique and high quality performance machine.

.../snicker

Unless you grab a nice deal on a used car, you'll probably end up having to rice something up, I'd guess. Jettas are nice...cute cars.

 

[mAdD INDIAN]

Originally posted by: geno
Yeah a V6 5sp Maxima crossed my mind, I'll look into it 😀

seriously, look into it. Its a great sleeper and a great deal financially if you consider how much you get for how little you pay.

You can get a 99 SE 5-spd with 134k kms (~85k miles) here in Canada for around $13k CDN, which is around $8k USD.