Fun Beater Shootout

Okay, guess it's my turn.

Two Miatas.

9C1's. Pick a year, doesn't matter. Cop brakes. Cop tires. Cop engine. Cop suspension. What more does one need?

Bobzilla wrote: 9C1's. Pick a year, doesn't matter. Cop brakes. Cop tires. Cop engine. Cop suspension. What more does one need?

106 miles to Chicago, a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, darkness... and sunglasses.

I totally concur, I'd love a 9C1, but would prefer an Impala SS just because I'm a fancy man who enjoys fancy things.

chapel wrote:

Bobzilla wrote: 9C1's. Pick a year, doesn't matter. Cop brakes. Cop tires. Cop engine. Cop suspension. What more does one need?

106 miles to Chicago, a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, darkness... and sunglasses. I totally concur, I'd love a 9C1, but would prefer an Impala SS just because I'm a fancy man who enjoys fancy things.

Me too, but good luck for your budget.

I couldn't find a photo of the image in my head; but a lowered, lightened, tightened Suburban.

Uncork the pipes....

pres589 wrote: Turbo Volare.

I have a Volare. I was gonna stuff it fulla viper, but I like your idea better.

I bought my 1984 Porsche 944 for $2500 Canadian.

I just autoX'd it for the first time on Sunday, it was pure magic. LSD equipped and 5 - spd. meant more fun than I ever could have imagined. Dusting a 996 Turbo S as well as every other 911 but 1 means it's a winner.

I did get beat by a 996 on R-comps(Pilot cups) with about 10 G's in mods but only by a bit. His 1:04.6 to my 1:06.5 and I was on 6 year old Toyo Proxes 4's. If you haven't driven a 944, do yourself a favour, they're amazing!

tuna55 wrote: me too, but good luck for your budget.

There's one about 5 miles from me for $2750. needs a new front driver's side fender... yes it's a real 1995 Impala SS in that purple-y color they came in.

chapel wrote:

tuna55 wrote: me too, but good luck for your budget.

There's one about 5 miles from me for $2750. needs a new front driver's side fender... yes it's a real 1995 Impala SS in that purple-y color they came in.

WOW. Go buy it now. Seriously. The thread is over.

I'd need to sell my S6 first... therein lies the rub

The Ad is gone, but I have the guy's contact information. I did find this 1995 Buick RMW though

anyone want the info to the guy with the Impala?

mndsm wrote:

pres589 wrote: Turbo Volare.

I have a Volare. I was gonna stuff it fulla viper, but I like your idea better.

Out of the box that motor has a pretty turbo friendly compression ratio and I believe the factory pistons are decently tough. As long as the motor is in good health I probably wouldn't even open it up. Ford EDIS bits should make ignition control a lot easier, and the dizzy doesn't drive the oil pump on the /6 so figure out a way to plug the hole and pull that thing out. Megasquirt, like a boss, and work on port injection using one of the available aluminum intakes out there. It'll be a lot of little fiddly nonsense to deal with but none of it should be that hard to do and I wouldn't be surprised if manners and fuel economy actually improve with this sort of swap. Not sure what the most cost effective route is but a GT25 or -28 should be nicely sized since this thing still won't rev past 5k.

That Impala is still available btw... just got an email from the guy. apparently the CL ad just expired.

Also, other cars I'd considered are non-turbo Subaru. cheap, plentiful, lots available in manuals... tossable and 'who-caresable?'

Though a nice Volvo 245 with a manual would be equally nice.

I love station wagons

chapel wrote: I've also been considering Impala SS/Caprice 9C1s (because there's not tease of having a manaul there)

P71... but maybe you were talking about the wagons. Ive seen someone stick a T5 and drill for the shifter. Looked real good afterwards.

Not always been a huge fan of the Crown Vics to be honest... I don't like the Ford Automatics... also, in MA, you don't need any kind of safety and emissions testing pre-95 :D

but let's not make this just about me. Good car for many people to have fun in

Oh, you're in MA? Yeah, 95-below only for fun cars. 4th gen F-bodies are approaching that price point, if you can stand the space potato ergonomics and two of your friends have no legs.

Can you get a four door Merkur XR4Ti?

I don't think there is such thing...

I picked this guy up for $3k with a built 5.0 and T-5. Has aluminum heads, Corbeau seats and some suspension stuff. Runs like a raped ape and the PO threw in the rust for free.

Right now its down for rust repair.

tuna55 wrote:

chapel wrote: yeah, I've been looking at old Challenge cars, but most aren't something I'd want to daily drive... maybe my expectations are too high. Volvos have LSDs eh?

My opinion, and it's not worth very much, is you're either going to find a solid stock starting point for that dollar, or a ragged out, somewhat less reliable and iffy example of something. It's a weird type of locker diff. It's based off of a Dana 35 (I think) and it locks until 35 mph or so. Makes nice double striped burnouts. The wagons had a 3.73 gear, too. If Mark doesn't buy mine you can!

...soon as that datsun sells...

for the volvo... it's a locker engages at low to moderate speed once it's above 30mph or something like that and you let off the throttle it releases... it's got a weird pendulum... seems ideal for most every day need of an LSD... low speed starts in dirt/snow/rain or drag starts :) heres a how it works... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KbMZ9vcYVSg same locker as in the s10 I belive (the g80)

In reply to donalson:

Pretty darn sweet, huh? Come by my car before I sell it to someone else.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1955-chevy-4-door-/170627868356?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item27ba36a6c4

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1995-BMW-540i-Sport-6-Speed-Manual-/250805646508?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item3a652e74ac

BMW E21. They are somewhat compact, but not excessively so. (You're not getting an EKTORP in there, but a POÄNG will fit.) They are rear drive, and I've been staring longingly at a runner for six months with an asking of $1400. They're cheap because they're too modern for the 2002 guys, but too antique for the E30 guys.

I'm allll about fun beaters for less than $2500 .

Here's my latest. Saab 900 Aero (SPG). A former '80s yuppie-mobile, now accessible to cheapskate GRM-types. Not RWD, obviously, but for a street car I couldn't care less about that.

Holds an enormous amount of stuff in the back, hauls four in comfort, and goes decently fast for an old car.