building a sedan on paper...

What candidate would you propose for a Challenge budget-level effort to make something like a BMW 3.0 csi on the cheap?   Four doors, straight six, manual transmission, rear drive, normally aspirated with decent reliability and inexpensive replacement part cost.   I've been thinking about a Fox body Fairmont but it looks like a manual is a Unicorn and the 300 Ford six cylinder is apparently a real lump.   Nissan Maxima?  Early A-body Mopar?  We're looking at roughly 3000 pounds and 200 hp.    Or is the answer  "Do Not Pass Go and Go Directly To P71"?

E34 or e39 5series?

Manual swap Lexus GS300?

Id honestly do a 4 door 70s valiant. Slant six, 5 speed w158. Efi, big block torsion bars, stitch welding, xhd springs, power everything.  Make very capable and comfortable drivers with motorsports potential. 

Cressida/Corona with manual transmission swap?

Jaguar XJS or XJ6?

Give you a sweet deal on an Opel Admiral with a Bitter SC engine, some assembly required but already manual transmission....

stroker said:

What candidate would you propose for a Challenge budget-level effort to make something like a BMW 3.0 csi on the cheap?   Four doors, straight six, manual transmission, rear drive, normally aspirated with decent reliability and inexpensive replacement part cost.   I've been thinking about a Fox body Fairmont but it looks like a manual is a Unicorn and the 300 Ford six cylinder is apparently a real lump.   Nissan Maxima?  Early A-body Mopar?  We're looking at roughly 3000 pounds and 200 hp.    Or is the answer  "Do Not Pass Go and Go Directly To P71"?

The fairmont came with the 200i6. It is a lump, the 300 has a good aftermarket buts not close too bolt in.

In reply to Dusterbd13 :

You could do that for a Challenge budget?  The /6 never came with that transmission, did it? 

Yes, i believe that you can.

Later slants in truck, van, and diplomats came regularly with the a833 od. The w158 supra trans swap in a much better trans, and last i checked it was cheaper than the a833od.

Hardest part if the valiant. T bars are 199, exd springs can be cloned with durango and a body parts, and the rest of tbe consumables are dirt cheap. 

I sold a great running and driving 1998 GS300 with some dents but no rust for $1200. Several cheapish Toyota transmissions will bolt up to that. Cosmetics would be the hardest / most expensive part. Fun cars. Not as cool looking as a Valiant but a lot more comfortable and competent. 

I have a few of the slant-6 a833s and bell housings if you do decide to go that direction. I may have a shifter and hump for a 70's Dart/Valiant too, I'd have to check. The actual clutch linkage would be the hardest part, I have a couple milk crates full of the pieces, but nothing is labeled.

Year one repops tbe linkage.

Id go hydraulic clutch instead 

I had a four door fox body Fairmont with the four cylinder and a four speed.  We called it the 444 or sometimes the mediocremont.  It had a surprising amount of character and I always thought it would be fun to build it into something.  Of course not all of its character was good but it was character none the less.

Find the chassis that you want, and figure out a way to swap a Jeep 4.0, or a GM atlas inline engine from a Trailblazer, Colorado, etc.

In reply to dropstep :

I thought the 300 and the 200 were basically the same block.  Is that not right?

stroker said:

In reply to dropstep :

I thought the 300 and the 200 were basically the same block.  Is that not right?

170/200/250 are the same block with the crap head. Intake is cast into it. 240/300 are the big 6's. Commonly found in trucks. My 78 zephyr is a 200, ive looked into performance upgrades and honestly the best bang for the buck is a 302 swap. Some guys turbo them with decent results but NA with an australian head or one of the 1500 or so cast aluminum heads ever made your looking at maybe 250 wheel horsepower for cubic dollars.

stroker said:

Four doors, straight six, manual transmission, rear drive, normally aspirated with decent reliability and inexpensive replacement part cost.  We're looking at roughly 3000 pounds and 200 hp.  

This sounds like every stock 2wd Jeep Cherokee xj for sale on your local cl right now.

Duster you mean the w58 trans? 

In reply to yupididit :

Maybe. Pretty scrambled at the moment.  2 hours of sleep....

Pretty sure you meant w58. Only 5 speed manual supras came with were w58 amd r154. 

So, you want a big, RWD, sedan with an inline-six engine?

Consider the Mercedes W124 platform. The 260E, 300E, and E300 all came with the SOHC M103 engine. Totally bulletproof. They can occasionally be found with manual transmissions, but it’s not easy. Plenty of solid examples for Challenge money. 

Also check out the second generation BMW (E32) 7-series. Again, they can be found with 5-speed gearboxes. Prices are generally pretty low. 

In reply to dculberson :

Manual swap an LS400

In reply to Trackmouse :

While that would be awesome, I was trying to stick with his "inline 6" requirement. 

no love for an early Maxima?   I'm kinda surprised at that.  

I have found a couple of Valiant candidates and Robbies suggestion of a Cherokee drivetrain makes sense.   With a Valiant that even stays "in the Mopar family".  

I suppose all the 80's Mazda 626's have gone back to rust... 

There is a Lemons car in the North East that is a 4.0HO swapped Javelin. I love everything about it and think going that route, 4.0 into AMC, would be a really cool way to go about this.

This looks like something somebody on the board could use...

Baltimore Cressida drift project