Author Topic: Cheap RWD "cool" car $1500-$3000?  (Read 7826 times)

June 07, 2014, 08:40:04 pm

wolf_walker

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Cheap RWD "cool" car $1500-$3000?
« on: June 07, 2014, 08:40:04 pm »
Thinking hard about a TPI C4 corvette.  I know the ups and downs fairly well.  What else comes to mind? Not a Mustang or f body, and preferably not European. I've had euro cars forever.  Alfas and later spitfires and such are cheap, but rough in my price range, plus cali smog.

I keep coming back to the vette or aw11 mr2.  I'm sitting in the latter, but it's the wife's and has title issues(but it is supercharged) .  And smog legal NA's are kinda slow.  Plus they all are either 250k+ or modded to death.

Suggestions?

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Reply #1June 07, 2014, 10:55:13 pm

745 turbogreasel

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Re: Cheap RWD "cool" car $1500-$3000?
« Reply #1 on: June 07, 2014, 10:55:13 pm »
A $1500 Vette will be pretty ragged out too.  They are pretty simple and well built for a GM though.

Reply #2June 07, 2014, 11:49:42 pm

wolf_walker

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« Reply #2 on: June 07, 2014, 11:49:42 pm »
Yeah, decent 85 or 86's around 2500-3k here, not a big market for them unless they are pristine apparently.  Shame crossfire is so lame.

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Reply #3June 08, 2014, 01:16:24 am

RabbitJockey

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Re: Cheap RWD "cool" car $1500-$3000?
« Reply #3 on: June 08, 2014, 01:16:24 am »
miata?
01 Jetta TDI 100% stock daily
81 Rabbit:TDI-M ported head, Frank06 cam, PD intake, hybrid T3 turbo, Renault intercooler, Syl20 11mm pump, light weight fw, and yellow California Clutch clutch kit

Reply #4June 08, 2014, 02:04:40 am

wolf_walker

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« Reply #4 on: June 08, 2014, 02:04:40 am »
Eh.. Great car, not off the table but pretty boring in my opinion. Too easy.

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Reply #5June 08, 2014, 02:50:30 am

TimpanogosSlim

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Re: Cheap RWD "cool" car $1500-$3000?
« Reply #5 on: June 08, 2014, 02:50:30 am »
no euros?

is a cop-edition crown vic 'cool'?

there's a '65 ford falcon out here asking $3k. the straight six in it is not running, but the body is straight.

toyota mr2 and various nissan/datsun Z cars are in that range. and other non-Z nissan sporty things, resplendent in angular glory. 

chrysler cordoba in the local listings for $2300. no word on the presence of rich corinthian leather. 6.6L engine tho.


Reply #6June 08, 2014, 12:52:09 pm

wolf_walker

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Re: Cheap RWD "cool" car $1500-$3000?
« Reply #6 on: June 08, 2014, 12:52:09 pm »
Cop-Vic is very cool, as are a lot of euro autobahn bruisers, but I've been driving relatively sedate euro cars forever, turbo volvo's, turbo saabs, E30's,
merc diesels.  Wanting something sufficiently different to hold my attention for more than six months.

CA smog kills a lot of neat cars though.  I could register one out of state but it'd have to be worth the effort.

Early Z cars have been on my list, but my budget is asking a lot of a pre-76 model.

The Falcon or Dart or such with a pre-smog straight six to megasquirt has been a one-day plan too, but
finding the right car cheap has been trouble.  Plus we have some great driving roads around here, something
sticky would be good.

MR2 or an Alfa really would fit the bill, just haven't seen a good enough example close enough to make me want to try yet.

There is that white 85 Corvette for $2500, 120K or so, looks like an average car for it's age and such, pretty close by.
Might go look.  I do not have fond memories of the creaky body but I see the aftermarket has some good attempts at
chassis bracing available, and how wrong can one go with a TPI L98, four wheel disks and independent suspension?
It's like a fancy Camaro to me.  Good friend had an 86 back in the day I used to wrench on, and was riding shotgun
when he lost the back in a sweeping 140mph curve in the middle of nowhere. 
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Reply #7June 08, 2014, 02:18:15 pm

theman53

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Re: Cheap RWD "cool" car $1500-$3000?
« Reply #7 on: June 08, 2014, 02:18:15 pm »
Ford pinto or amc gremlin?

Reply #8June 08, 2014, 03:01:53 pm

wolf_walker

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Re: Cheap RWD "cool" car $1500-$3000?
« Reply #8 on: June 08, 2014, 03:01:53 pm »
Pinto wagon counts as cool.  But needs a lot of un-ford'ing to be I'd drive it cool.

Saw a Vega GT wagon with an inline six and a stick the other day.  Lot of potential but more than
I can handle with my tiny shop right now.
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Reply #9June 08, 2014, 04:56:31 pm

745 turbogreasel

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Re: Cheap RWD "cool" car $1500-$3000?
« Reply #9 on: June 08, 2014, 04:56:31 pm »
Pinto wagon counts as cool.  But needs a lot of un-ford'ing to be I'd drive it cool.

Nah, SVO turbo and T5 is plenty cool in a Pinto.
but you could go all Texas on it

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/general-4x4-discussion/1666081-pinto-bouncer-8.html
« Last Edit: June 08, 2014, 04:58:18 pm by 745 turbogreasel »

Reply #10June 08, 2014, 06:06:53 pm

wolf_walker

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Re: Cheap RWD "cool" car $1500-$3000?
« Reply #10 on: June 08, 2014, 06:06:53 pm »
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Reply #11June 10, 2014, 01:38:43 am

mystery3

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Re: Cheap RWD "cool" car $1500-$3000?
« Reply #11 on: June 10, 2014, 01:38:43 am »
Starion or conquest? Rare-ish but I'm sure you could find a reasonable condition conquest for under three grand.

Reply #12June 10, 2014, 07:58:15 am

theman53

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Re: Cheap RWD "cool" car $1500-$3000?
« Reply #12 on: June 10, 2014, 07:58:15 am »
Pantera?

Reply #13June 10, 2014, 02:13:04 pm

wolf_walker

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Re: Cheap RWD "cool" car $1500-$3000?
« Reply #13 on: June 10, 2014, 02:13:04 pm »
Cool but not cheap.
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Reply #14June 12, 2014, 11:10:52 am

Smoker

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Re: Cheap RWD "cool" car $1500-$3000?
« Reply #14 on: June 12, 2014, 11:10:52 am »
Starion or conquest? Rare-ish but I'm sure you could find a reasonable condition conquest for under three grand.

This.


Or pretty much any car that you could drop a junkyard 5.3 in and have some fun.