[Editor's Note: This article ran originally in our June 2007 edition. Some information, pricing, or car availabilty has changed.]
Let’s get one thing straight: Not every car is going to be rehashed in a single weekend. If you’re dreaming of investing a couple of days in a rust-to-race track rebuild, you might want to wake up.
The key is to start with the right …
Ah, Saab. Wish you were still here.
this is just a list of basically my favorite cars of all time. What is wrong with me?
Robbie said:this is just a list of basically my favorite cars of all time. What is wrong with me?
Nothing, my good sir, nothing.
I have owned five on that list. 3 of them exact same color and option package as the pictures.
Am i being stalked? Or do i just have great taste in cars?
Dusterbd13-michael said:I have owned five on that list. 3 of them exact same color and option package as the pictures.
Am i being stalked? Or do i just have great taste in cars?
Ha! I just had to go count after this comment. I've also had 5. Plus two more REALLY close ones like a 99 Saab and a VW fox instead of a golf.
Jordan Rimpela said:Ah, Saab. Wish you were still here.
Same.
I've had at least one example of six of the cars on the list and still have examples of three of them. I like this list.
I've had 9 cars on that list.
Unfortunately, they are all Saturns...
David S. Wallens said:The key is to start with the right car in the right condition—something new enough to be solid, but still old enough to have completely depreciated in value. For the most part, we’re talking about cars that are about 15 or 20 years old.
Might want to take another look at the calendar. The newest car on your list is 17 years old and the majority of them went out of production a quarter century ago. Of course, the article is 12 years old so maybe we should be more worried about that 
I'm going to say the answers have changed. E30 and NA Miata prices are on the way up - E36s and NBs are probably more appropriate answers now, or maybe even NC Miatas. And seriously, are there any running Escort GTs and Neons left?
As for cars on the list, I own four. Granted, it's four copies of the same car, but that counts, right?
Keith Tanner said:David S. Wallens said:The key is to start with the right car in the right condition—something new enough to be solid, but still old enough to have completely depreciated in value. For the most part, we’re talking about cars that are about 15 or 20 years old.
Might want to take another look at the calendar. The newest car on your list is 17 years old and the majority of them went out of production a quarter century ago. Of course, the article is 12 years old so maybe we should be more worried about that
As for cars on the list, I own four. Granted, it's four copies of the same car, but that counts, right?
Probably better to just suggest an update. For sure, swap the Escort for Focus- or something like that. But a lot has been added and subtracted (based on availability) from that list in 12 years.
Yea an updated list would be pretty cool. Swap escort for focus, e30 for e46, put the sn95 mustangs on there.
In reply to Keith Tanner :
You can blame me. This article is... older. And while the Escorts and Neons might be light on the ground, they're still out there. But it's definitely a list worth revisiting.
Keith Tanner said:
And seriously, are there any running Escort GTs and Neons left?
I think my co-workers stockpiled the lot of the Escort GTs (and 323s, MX3s, etc) for Chump Car.
Generally speaking the newer equivalents gained power roughly commensurate with their weight gain, but of course tires and brakes get a little more expensive.
The F-body upgrade is huge. A 4th gen goes circles around a 3rd gen until you get pretty far from stock.
On the other hand, the 2nd gen Neon is just...worse than the 1st gen. Unless you get an SRT4. 
I apparently don't belong in this crowd, I've only owned 5 out of the twelve.
In reply to BoxheadTim :
Well I've owned zero. I've had Volvos instead of Saabs and Mercedes-Benzes instead of BMWs, but that's as close as I get.
Here's a cool update on what the Camaro used for the lead image looks like today from the same owner:
I remember this article from the mag...seems like ~10 years ago. What a difference a decade makes. The pedestrian entries on the list almost don't exist any more, and the rest are classics and have appreciated.
When was the last time anyone saw a clean SE-R, Protoge or Escort GT?
Jordan Rimpela said:In reply to BoxheadTim :
Well I've owned zero. I've had Volvos instead of Saabs and Mercedes-Benzes instead of BMWs, but that's as close as I get.
I thought you got a miata as a sign on bonus at GRM?
RevRico said:Jordan Rimpela said:In reply to BoxheadTim :
Well I've owned zero. I've had Volvos instead of Saabs and Mercedes-Benzes instead of BMWs, but that's as close as I get.
I thought you got a miata as a sign on bonus at GRM?
They were out of stock. I got a Mercedes instead!
Keith Tanner said:David S. Wallens said:The key is to start with the right car in the right condition—something new enough to be solid, but still old enough to have completely depreciated in value. For the most part, we’re talking about cars that are about 15 or 20 years old.
Might want to take another look at the calendar. The newest car on your list is 17 years old and the majority of them went out of production a quarter century ago. Of course, the article is 12 years old so maybe we should be more worried about that
That explains a bunch of why it felt old. I didn't catch the date first time I read it earlier. These were/are all good cars. But my first thought was how bad parts availability will be for some of these.
Having owned an EF, you can find some parts easily. But hard parts are getting more difficult to source and moving to a EG or really an EK chassis is the best choice just for the support level still available from those double wishbone cars.
The 8th gen civics I would argue are the new Honda hot ticket for a cheap project/track day car. Hondata makes a tuner for the R18 and there's parts for them on the aftermarket like crazy.
Thinking domestics, the early MK3 focus are starting to hit the lower end of the depreciation curve and because of the RS and the ST there's a bunch of aftermarket support for the chassis.
I realize I own the performance versions of both the 8th gen civic and the Focus MK3 so I'm a bit biased. But they're capable.
Its too bad the early Mazda3 had so many rust issues. They'd feel like a good Grassroots candidate to me as well.
Where's the list of terrible platforms to start from? We need to start saving these kids from their Scion TCs and Grand Ams!
If you are updating the list, consider the Cobalt SS in place of the Neon. It was a hell of a platform, there is support out there, and its reasonably priced. You can get it NA, super, or turbocharged in 2 door or 4 door.
I currently own three of the cars on that list. One I bought new, and another I own four versions.
Vigo said:
The F-body upgrade is huge. A 4th gen goes circles around a 3rd gen until you get pretty far from stock.
An '82 vs. a 2002, yes. An '87-'92 5.7 car vs. a '93-'96 not so much.
An '87-'92 5.7 car vs. a '93-'96 not so much.
Maybe a track with no straightaways? Or, if you put a self-imposed 4500rpm rev limit on an LT1 then i'm sure it's no faster than a 5.7 TPI car. I think that's called the Lemons Limiter because nobody can keep an SBC alive in Lemons if they actually rev it, right? 
In all seriousness i don't see where you're coming from. I also dont think in stock form an LS1 fbody is that much faster than an LT1 Fbody. They're certainly closer together than the LT1 car is to the TPI car.
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