Another "Not This Again" Thread...
For someone like me that has limited access to a garage and little to no real budget; What is the best and cheapest all around car out there. This car is not a daily driver, but more of a weekend warrior of such. Something that I could take to the track or tail of the dragon. My list right now is almost 40 cars that in all varying degrees of hotness. If I were to tell you that I have a $1500-$2,000 budget to buy a car and have it "Track Ready"; would it be possible? ie. I found a civic ex that had koni suspension and was already used on the track for $1500, but it was gone before the end of day on day 1 of the ad...
I do like the option of the Honda civic or a beat to hell Mini Cooper S, which does by the way run... I do own a 2.3L turbo motor that I was going to use in a Ford Ranger, but not so track friendly. So I thought Hell I will just buy a Mustang, but hard to come by for the price that I need to be in... and also Mustangs are not exactly known for their handling and would probably take more than what I had in budget to get it to the track.
I understand that I could throw a cheap set of tires on the car and brake pads and have it technically safe on the track, but I am hoping to have something that is somewhat competent on the track... I have done track days, but it has been several years.
I think that this is a complex question to ask but I am honestly do not want to go to "Craigslist" and point my finger at something that I would not enjoy in the long run.
For your budget you pretty much have to buy whatever you can find with track mods. Unless you start with a $500 car, there's no way you can fit the catch-up maintenance, suspension, brakes and tires into your budget.
Ah right up my alley. You want a cheap and easy to work on (bye bye Mini) NA sport compact, and something that could make a decent DD if needed (a situation that commonly arises when you have no garage and a tiny budget). So a Civic would be a great choice. A last-gen Celica would be another good choice. Maybe an old Suzuki Swift if those haven't all returned to the earth by you. Maybe an Integra of some kind.
Edit: +1 for getting something that already has mods if you can, mods are cheapest when they come with a used car.
How about a first gen Mazda Protege LX?
Miata really can't be beat for your needs / cost. You can find a decent example for $1,500-$2K, and then you'll need to make sure it is safe for track use--- maybe another $500-$1,000.
Fun, reliable and a massive aftermarket to serve your modifying needs. It is the "answer" you know....
The answer is the fastest GRM Challenge autox car the last couple years.
That being an XJ Jeep Cherokee.
The answer is...c'mon, everyone say it with me...M-I-A-T-A.
small lightweight early 90s sub-compacts. Check and see which ones have performance pads available still in the application and go from there.
Neon RT or other 16v 1st gen neon
BG chassis mazdas (also see ford zx2)
dual cam saturn
fx-16
miata
EF hatch
you may be able to sneak a focus zx3 into the mix
if it won't serve the function of a daily and will be strictly for track use, why not a used shifter kart?
Plenty of first and second generation RX-7s in that price range.
Only problem is that especially the 1st gens aren't exactly that well served in the go-faster bits arena anymore.
A dark horse recommendation might be a Saturn SC2 or SL2. The SC2's had good road racing results when they were in their prime.
I have considered I feel almost everything within the last 25 years, or even 30 years... The Miata is great but I just am not a roadster fan and also I would have to buy a roll bar for any track events that I go to. I had a buddy that owned a 1991 Mazda Protégé LX 5-speed... The car was totaled when he bought it with a bent control arm. There was only one spot of surface rust on the car! $75 dollars later, he had a car that was fixed. The BP motor was a very strong running motor for being only 140hp. The 91 model even had sodium filled valves and was a pretty stout motor. eventually my buddy trashed the car and locked up the motor.
The shifter cart idea will not work unfortunately, the wife already has vetoed that idea... I also would like to teach my daughter how to drive a manual when she is of age with this car...
I like the idea of the Neon ACR, but I have not seen too many of them for quite a while. The Ford ZX2 is a great little car! there are Tokico struts that are dirt cheap and work quite well...
I did find a Ford Focus SVT for $600 a little time back, it had some motor issues but did not seem that bad.
If you go to craigslist, I usually can find around 50 or so cars that are in the $500 dollar range with some actually running well.
I did find a Saturn SC2 that needed a clutch for $600 as well, it looked to be in good condition...
What about a Hyundai Tiburon? found one for $1k a while back that just needed tires, already had a full tuneup and new clutch, just was not ready to buy something at the time.
I used to own a 2001 Subaru Impreza 2.5Rs that I loved. I would love to have one of these again, but the prices seem way too steep for what they were. I guess they are highly sought after.
I really want to own a 1991 Isuzu Impulse RS again. I used to own one, but had to sell it due to moving and wife thought it was a piece of trash. I dearly miss it...
There's a 91 318 in your area for about what you're looking to spend. 5spd
http://columbus.craigslist.org/cto/5216862144.html
This one might be an "easy fixer":
http://columbus.craigslist.org/cto/5190349387.html
P71. 03+ models had a trans cooler and an oil cooler.
They get no love on the board but if you can find a second gen Probe or MX-6 you can get a pretty fair V6 and decent handling.
But really at your price you need to look for survivors of a long life and lots of abuse.
Mazda Protege5 2002-2003.
Step 1: Have cash, at home, ready to buy at a moments notice. No excuses of waiting for the money or have to go to the bank.
Step 2: Add a CL app to your smartphone and daily scour your local listings for all cars under your price limit. Sift through those cars a couple times a day. On the same day, see the ones that interest you. Bring that cash from step #1.
Slow day at the office so I did my usual Craigslist search min price 123, max price 1999, manual transmission, rwd, in your area 
RX-7 ($1400) This has my vote as it's the least molested
http://columbus.craigslist.org/cto/5204903184.html
BMW he he he ($1200)
http://columbus.craigslist.org/cto/5241140309.html
The answer ($1200)
http://columbus.craigslist.org/cto/5212591821.html
BMW 325 ($1500)
http://columbus.craigslist.org/cto/5227619714.html
This thread is completely unnecessary. Miata.
volvo 240/740/940. May be out of your budget with the aftermarket prices, but can be had with manual, RWD, and turbo. the engine's been known to take some serious power as well.
