carbidetooth said:In reply to KyAllroad :
I looked but no joy. Can you link to ad?
https://www.grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/cars-sale/2010-acura-tl-sh-awd-stick/272297/page1/
And while it's not a dedicated sports car, at 1/3rd of your budget you can spend more on track days, autocrosses, vacations with the significant other, etc, etc.
In reply to John Welsh :
That would certainly interest me but, there's always a but, it's in Pittsburgh and I'm in Idaho. Shipping would sour the deal and driving it home would probably do the same. Maybe not that car, but it does fulfill much of the wish list.
theruleslawyer said:Hard to beat a c5, c6 in performance per dollar. $30k would get you a c6 gs, which has great bones as a track car. (dry sump, etc) If you don't plan on doing much to it, a c5z would be a nice choice in the low $20's, sometimes high teens. If you are open to mods the base c5's are a tremendous value. You'll have plenty to exorcise any of the cruiser genes out of it. See my project thread. Base c6's need most of the same stuff as base c5's but you might be happier with the interior. Plenty of small reasons to pick up one. ECBMs, better PCM, better parts availability. Avoid 2005. Get the z51. I'd personally opt for a 2008+ with the ls3 in it if I were looking for one. C7s are starting to get down there too, it would be a stretch, but a c7 z51 would be a good buy.
a stick shift GS (the one /w the dry sump) would be a pretty tall order for $30k. Maybe but they are probably pretty clapped. A clean narrow body LS3 car still commands low 20's and the GS's are usually a $10k premium (and deservingly so; wide body = more tire, Z06 brakes, dry sump, etc.)
ClearWaterMS said:a stick shift GS (the one /w the dry sump) would be a pretty tall order for $30k. Maybe but they are probably pretty clapped. A clean narrow body LS3 car still commands low 20's and the GS's are usually a $10k premium (and deservingly so; wide body = more tire, Z06 brakes, dry sump, etc.)
They're out there. People asking 40k for them are in denial. Especially when c7's are starting to get near $30k. The ones you see sitting listed for months on end are the delusional 1 of 1 'I know what I have' type sellers.
Here's a couple in my region manual under $30k
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/311666698547842/?ref=search&referral_code=null&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp%3A2ae592ea-2bd0-43bc-b17d-a94282951cf4
https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/860649145963676/?ref=search&referral_code=null&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp%3A2ae592ea-2bd0-43bc-b17d-a94282951cf4
Obviously you won't be getting a low mileage car for that. but I see them in the upper 20's often enough. If you keep an eye on track groups on FB you see some screaming deals come through.
I've driven all the things, some of which I drove before I started writing poorly-written reviews. This is my short (medium) list of the cars that put the biggest smile on my face:
-AP2 S2000
-ND Miata (if only I fit...)
-NC3 Club Miata (aka the Miata I fit in)
-987 Boxster/Cayman S (almost bought 1, more than once)
-Nismo 370Z (the base/lower model 370Z's did nothing for me, but the Nismo was a hoot on a canyon road!)
-C6 Corvette Z06 (lightly modded)
-C7 Corvette Grand Sport w/Z07 package 6MT
-Jaguar F-Type R
-F87 BMW M2 6MT
-Oddly enough, my lowly E82 128i 6MT E36 M3box after throwing a few thousand dollars into suspension & the 3SIM + tune.
-FK8 Civic Type R (I would have kept that car if it didn't hurt my knee)
-Tastefully modded Evo X GSR (I don't know what all was done to it, but it was fast and loved to be pitched around corners!)
My advice: pick a few cars you're interested in and go drive them all. Buy the one that puts the biggest smile on your face.
Hey y'all. Original poster here. I've narrowed my search to Miata RF and Toyobaru. Looking at used GR86 and BRZ made me wonder why 1-2 year old cars with average mileage were advertised so close to MSRP for NEW. I'd expect bigger spread, but maybe I'm behind the times. As a result, I'm shopping new GR86 with a Toyota dealer that had a used one on their lot, but l rejectied. If I go new, I'll specify equipment and color, then wait till they can fulfill. It may stretch into '25 model year, which I'm fine with.
Having never bought new, I'm wondering what good pricing looks like vs MSRP. They're offering $400 below for sure and but I'm thinking more like $1000. What would y'all expect to see? No trade, I'll finance long enough for them to get their spiff from lender and then pay off.
John Welsh said:carbidetooth said:I'm pretty simplistic in my tastes... Quirky is good, exotic not-so-much. Practicality not so important,
Mostly a buzz around town car...something to make me smile when I drive it and not be a work-in-progress.
Simplistic
Quirky
Not Practical (near zero storage space)
Buzz and Smile!
Reliable
I had one. Fun. At 6' you should just fit. I am 6'2 and did a race bucket baiscally boltes to the floor.
But IMO It needed another 100hp :)
OP here, I thought I should finish the story. Maybe finish isn't the right word. Update the saga, perhaps, because I'm pretty certain I'm not finished.
I got very close to buying a used GR86. Then got dazzled by new Hakone Edition. Which I did purchase. Wonderful automobile. Auction goes live tomorrow. Lesson learned...again!
The Story
I fell for car but I’m not a new car guy. Let me explain.
I was on the hunt for a “fun” car to add to my little fleet. I had some requirements. It had to handle well, be relatively potent and not be black. And I suppose it needed to be affordable too because, well, I’m not Jay Leno. I considered everything from pony cars to semi exotics but really started to like the GR86 or its sister, the BRZ. Everything I wanted, it seems.
As I nosed around for used ones, one thing struck me as odd. The price for low mile, used and not abused cars was strikingly close to new cars. This led me to investigate new ones which, in my 68 years on this earth, I’ve never done. The Hakone Edition had just been announced, and I was smitten when I eyeballed photos and read about equipment. On a lark, I called the local dealer and inquired as to availability. “We can get you one”. “Really, with the equipment I want?” “Yes”.
Needless to say, I was excited! In the past, I’d made my used cars into what I wanted. Here was an opportunity for me to purchase my first new car, equipped to my specifications, and, and, and, I did!
Months later, I got the call that my car was in port and would soon be on transport to dealer. Gettin’ real now, but it was nearing Christmas and weather not what I deemed “go for a drive” friendly. So I put it in the garage and fawned over it. Ceramic polish, added the Mud guards and detailed what I thought the dealership missed…you get the idea. Did I tell you I’m a fussy old buzzard?
Now the final chapter. As much as I don’t like to admit it, I’m not a new car guy. The idea of getting the first door ding or curb rash is kind of sickening to me. When I imagine mowing down a cone on an autocross course or hammering it around a track it’s even worse.
I’ve been here before. Years ago, I rebuilt an RX7 beyond what I should have and simply made it “too nice”. Despite all who tried to convince me otherwise, I sold it. And here I am again. Too nice. I don’t have the space or inclination to be a collector of cars that don’t get driven like they were intended. Sad but true, this needs to be someone else’s baby and not my garage queen.
Maybe look for an ordinary used 2.0L model? You can bring them half-way to the power of the 2.4L engine with some basic mods. None of the special editions are mechanically very special, I think the biggest difference is bigger and far more expensive brakes, so don't fret about what factory options they came with.
They're still newish cars in cost though. A replacement headlight can easily cost more than a replacement gearbox and they have lots of costly safety gear that can be set off.
Also consider a Porsche 944. They've been appreciating for a while but can be had for costs in the same ballpark as a used Toyobaru, they're pretty similar performance-wise, a lot of the parts are cheaper and they should be a helluva lot cheaper to insure. The only things they really fall short on vs. a Toyobaru are fuel efficiency, and at this point you can expect reliability to be worse just due to age.
In reply to GameboyRMH :
Currently hot for an NC2-3 PRHT Miata. The FM turbo looks pretty dang fun. That and a little suspension work and I get to do the mods and not worry about new-ness.
I tapped out bidding on this one yesterday on BAT, so still on the hunt.
If anyone is interested, Hakone is now live on Cars and Bids.
Tugboat in the house! Found this one on marketplace 600 miles away. 2012, original owner, 40,000 miles, needed a good detail but really solid mechanically.
and Keith, there is a hole there on the left waiting for a Turbo when they come available...
Practical, cool, quirky car that's insanely fun to drive and dead reliable for $30k ... for me that means Lancer Evolution V GSR. They've been legal to import for a while.
I've had a six pack of Miatae through the years and enjoyed them all. NA's mostly. I turbo'ed the titties off of one and it was a blast. Just completely unreliable as a track car because I'm not Flyin' Miata and learned as I went. Eventually, it would do a track day weekend without error. I couldn't take it to a shop for maintenance however.
Since then I've owned a 350z that was wonderful if cramped and expensive to maintain. I sold that for a 99 C5 I bought from a deceased NASA engineer. The car has been great but has cost a fair penny to maintain as it sat for 2 years, undriven.
I think you might want to check out C5's and 6's. The C5 reminds me a lot of the Miata's I owned in that it's (relatively) lightweight, responsive on the road, minimalist, and balanced. The C5 feels like my turbo Miata in a lot of ways but has the admirable quality of being stock and fairly reliable. The C5 has that wonderful GM build quality but the bones are good and strong on it. V8 noise abound as the previous owner installed a Borla exhaust. I thought I wouldn't like it, but I do. It is a two seater so no backseat but the hatch is plentiful. They'll shrug off miles as demonstrated by the mass amount that have made it into the 150k+ mile club. If it were going to be a street car, I'd consider an auto even. If track or autocross you definitely need a manual as an auto from the late 90's early 00's era isn't sporting. They do initiate a very fast downshift for passing on dotted line country roads.
Along these lines, what about a Holden Monaro/Pontiac GTO from the LS V8 era? Back seat in that and they're lower in price these days if you can find one in good shape.
The S550 Mustangs are amazing as well. They hustle around a track. Mods abound. Astounding great sound. Back seat. Reliable. Modern enough to be very comfortable and you get Android Auto/Car Play on some so you can listen to podcasts while blasting backroads.
In reply to carbidetooth :
Really good choice a friend preps these for track days. My understanding is the suspension is all RX8 stuff.
As for a car being to nice; I totally relate to that. I don't like that hanging over me either.
In reply to Xceler8x :
There's a 5th gen Mustang in my driveway right now. Was GF's money pit and is some fun, but ponderous handling compared to Miata. For me, I think it boils down to light-feeling agility or loud pedal fun. Corvette may be in the latter category, as well. I could easily turn into a Miata aficionado or perhaps I'm already there. They seem to tick all the boxes for me at this point. Perhaps it's a good thing there's only two spaces in the garage...
In reply to Xceler8x :
That is interesting about the 350z. What was expensive about maintenance?
carbidetooth said:In reply to Xceler8x :
There's a 5th gen Mustang in my driveway right now. Was GF's money pit and is some fun, but ponderous handling compared to Miata. For me, I think it boils down to light-feeling agility or loud pedal fun. Corvette may be in the latter category, as well. I could easily turn into a Miata aficionado or perhaps I'm already there. They seem to tick all the boxes for me at this point. Perhaps it's a good thing there's only two spaces in the garage...
If it's going to be a track car you can get the c5/c6 pretty light. I know guys that have them in the 2700lb ish range. Not light car light I guess, but certainly way under a mustang or more more modern 'muscle' cars.
In reply to carbidetooth :
Purty!
theruleslawyer said:Hard to beat a c5, c6 in performance per dollar. $30k would get you a c6 gs, which has great bones as a track car. (dry sump, etc) If you don't plan on doing much to it, a c5z would be a nice choice in the low $20's, sometimes high teens. If you are open to mods the base c5's are a tremendous value. You'll have plenty to exorcise any of the cruiser genes out of it. See my project thread. Base c6's need most of the same stuff as base c5's but you might be happier with the interior. Plenty of small reasons to pick up one. ECBMs, better PCM, better parts availability. Avoid 2005. Get the z51. I'd personally opt for a 2008+ with the ls3 in it if I were looking for one. C7s are starting to get down there too, it would be a stretch, but a c7 z51 would be a good buy.
Sorry to threadjack a bit here, but why should the 2005 C6 be avoided?
That's too bad about the GR. I avoid door dings by parking WAY in the back of the lot where no one is close. It's definitely good for my fat ass to walk a few hundred extra feet. Although my '23 BRZ doesn't get driven much, I just crossed 4200 miles this past weekend and I've had it 2.5 years.
Although I will admit, when I had my first gen BRZ when I finalized my divorce, I came out to see in the court parking lot some jerk had like kicked their door open into my passenger side. It dented the door and chipped the paint off down to bare metal. Their car didn't look like someone who could afford McD's, so I just had to suck it up and move on.
carbidetooth said:Tugboat in the house! Found this one on marketplace 600 miles away. 2012, original owner, 40,000 miles, needed a good detail but really solid mechanically.
and Keith, there is a hole there on the left waiting for a Turbo when they come available...
Congrats on the NC2! IMHO the NC2/3 PRHT is 'peak Miata' for a fun street car. Swap out the suspension for FM Fox or 949 Xida and enjoy the hell out of it.
Oh, and on the FM NC Turbo.... the end of the line is back there somewhere! 
DrBoost said:You should
buy my R53 Cooper S.
adult owned, go-fast goodies installed already.
I daily drove an r53 last year and its the epitome of "buzz around town." Definitely fun and great if you have something else to drive if you have to go an hour or so.
Puddy46 said:theruleslawyer said:Hard to beat a c5, c6 in performance per dollar. $30k would get you a c6 gs, which has great bones as a track car. (dry sump, etc) If you don't plan on doing much to it, a c5z would be a nice choice in the low $20's, sometimes high teens. If you are open to mods the base c5's are a tremendous value. You'll have plenty to exorcise any of the cruiser genes out of it. See my project thread. Base c6's need most of the same stuff as base c5's but you might be happier with the interior. Plenty of small reasons to pick up one. ECBMs, better PCM, better parts availability. Avoid 2005. Get the z51. I'd personally opt for a 2008+ with the ls3 in it if I were looking for one. C7s are starting to get down there too, it would be a stretch, but a c7 z51 would be a good buy.
Sorry to threadjack a bit here, but why should the 2005 C6 be avoided?
Fragile diff IIRC. They changed it in 2006. Plus just first year stuff.
theruleslawyer said:Plus just first year stuff.
We had a 2005 C6 Z51... worst car I've ever owned. At the time, it was an 8 year old, 50k mile car and we had all kinds of problems, mechanical, electrical, crap interior quality, you name it. I'd like to think it was just first year/Friday/Monday car stuff, but every issue I had with it was previously documented on the 'Vette forums. Traded it off for a painful loss, but I was never happier to see a car go away.
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