Recommend me a sports car

[Fogel]

As much as I love 60's - 70's era american muscle, I could never be happy with an out of the box model still running on stock suspension with the terrible weight distribution. This, coming from a guy who grew up 70's muscle, still owns and drives the 70 chevelle he bought 18 years ago. Of course it's no longer as GM intended it to be but it's still nowhere near what I can do with todays cars.

My co-worker has a '71 Chevelle and I actually really like it, but like you said... out of the box it's missing some key components. But also easier to maintain than today's cars.

 

ooztuner: I dunno man, I'd just keep looking. Sooner or later a good deal will surface. You don't seem to be married to any particular model or brand so patience will pay off more. I'd just keep scoping all the listings, it'll give you a little more time to do more research and maybe even narrow it down some more.

 

Someone mentioned a Supra - those still carry a hefty price tag. Still nice tho, I'd take a early-mid '90 Supra. If you go older Porsche, as someone else mentioned... parts will be pricey. If you do go early '90s, a 300Z is probably one of the better options for that price range. They don't cost much, you won't get reamed on parts and people still think they look good. Another Nissan that might fit the bill is the Nissan 240SX. Those are easy to deck out and probably easy to find one already decked out at a reasonable price.

 

Those Suburu Impreza WRXs are pretty nice cars as well. You might be able to find a '00 model or a '98, '99.

[ooztuncer]

I am sorry to write it again, but I understood very quickly that I should have done my homework more thoroughly.

 

I am narrowing down my choices, so please bear with me.

 

After another whole day of investigation, I ditched the Miata, Corvette, Porsche, RX7, 300ZX and 240SX from my shortlist. I am going to drive a sports (or sporty) car in Maine's winter so I started to look what type of sports (sporty) cars people are selling around here (duh!).

 

NH is kinda Camaro heaven, Boston is plagued with WRX's, and there are many Prelude's around me. Therefore, here is my updated shortlist:

 

Mitsubishi 3000GT / Dodge Stealth

Honda Prelude (vtec)

Nissan Sentra (se-r spec v)

Impreza WRX (perhaps out of my budget)

Camaro RS or Z28

Civic SI

MR2

 

Yesterday, I drove this car: http://maine.craigslist.org/car/392234101.html Pictures are below.

 

It was a blast! It was the first time I used a performance clutch and boy it was different. I like the builder very much and he put a lot of work to the car. Downside is it is VERY loud and you can barely cruise under 2000rpm (as soon as it hits the 2k you are flyin!) - a definite NO GO from my wife

 

It is getting more fun as days pass. Today, I will be checking the MR2 and another prelude...

 

Thanks!!

 

 

pics: http://ooztuncer.smugmug.com/gallery/3341585#186184395

[Smoken Joe]

The MR2's are some of the most fun sports card made. Very reliable and strangely low insurance on many models. I had one for about 12 years bought it for 6k got 3k when someone hit it. Look at the cost of insurance before you go much further. The MR2 was 1/4th the insurance of the Camaro the Mitsubishi 3000GT are decent card but can be a fortune to maintain if the last owner did not take car of it.

The Civic is a very good car but I am not a Honda fan.

[CPDMF]

The supercharged MR2 was a pretty cool little car. The aftermarket really took a liking to it and offered quite a few bolt-ons like crank and blower pulleys, intakes etc that made them pretty quick. Reliability was a factor at that point with transaxle and halfshafts being the weak point.

 

I can't see you being happy in a civic though. Way too much expense to get to a fast car that way.

 

I guess my biggest problem is I am not sure what a fast car is to you. My Chevelle will run the 1/4 mile in the 9's on the first stage and I drive this car on the street, My race car runs in the 7's so what is fast to me is going to be a little different than what you consider fast.

[Fogel]

You know, I really haven't been much of a fan of the shorty cars. The MR2 is about the only one that I would drive. Course I say that and I would absolutely nut myself if I ever owned an AC Shelby Cobra 427. If I ever have a mid-life crisis and I actually have money, that's the car I'd own. Heck, I'd even "settle" for the 428 engine.

[Coors]

I wish I had a Lotus Elise. I could probably get one if I wanted but I couldn't afford the car payment AND the insurance. I bet the insurance would be insane for a 22 year old even with a clean record lol.

[diff_lock]

??? I don't consider them sports cars at all; not even sporty to me.

 

Are you telling me a Type-R (civic/inegra/rsx) is not sporty?! 8k red line. 100hp per liter NA.... thats pretty damn sporty.

 

 

And there are SOOOOOOOOOOO many bolt-ons for these "ricer" cars.

 

Go for the SI or the lude... If the lude is too loud, i think its just the "ricer" muffler.You can fit a used stock muffler off a larger car so it will be silent, and still allow lots of flow, just hope it doesn't mess with the heavily modded engine.

[Coors]

I agree with Radodrill....I mean come on my grandma drives a Civic...how sporty can they be? LOL but seriously I just think they are too common because too many people drive "riced out" civics. But again it's all personal preference...different strokes for different folks.

[Yukon Trooper]

Are you telling me a Type-R (civic/inegra/rsx) is not sporty?! 8k red line. 100hp per liter NA.... thats pretty damn sporty.

 

 

And there are SOOOOOOOOOOO many bolt-ons for these "ricer" cars.

 

Go for the SI or the lude... If the lude is too loud, i think its just the "ricer" muffler.You can fit a used stock muffler off a larger car so it will be silent, and still allow lots of flow, just hope it doesn't mess with the heavily modded engine.

Of course the Type-Rs, Integras, RSXs and Civic-SIs are sporty but most of them I think are out of his price range.

[Guest Blooz1]

I'd give my eye teeth for an Acura RSX!

 

Here's a rather "tongue in cheek" review;

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/?p=2654

 

(Since 2006 was the last year of production, it fits the discussion here well, but price is definitely an issue!)

[radodrill]

Are you telling me a Type-R (civic/inegra/rsx) is not sporty?! 8k red line. 100hp per liter NA.... thats pretty damn sporty.

 

 

And there are SOOOOOOOOOOO many bolt-ons for these "ricer" cars.

 

Go for the SI or the lude... If the lude is too loud, i think its just the "ricer" muffler.You can fit a used stock muffler off a larger car so it will be silent, and still allow lots of flow, just hope it doesn't mess with the heavily modded engine.

 

There may be somewhat sporty Hondas; but you said:

Honda anything.

and I certainly don't agree with that

 

BTW: HONDA = Had One Never Do it Again

[Splave]

How about a high miles GTI?

http://www.cars.com/go/search/detail.jsp;?...leadExists=true

Color isnt my fav lol but they are def fun to whip around in

 

Out of your list, just test drove a wrx and it pulled pretty hard when I got after it. Corners like a dream too.