maybe time for a new car...sugestions?

Currently I have a 1980 Ford Fiesta. Nothing is really wrong with it that cant be fixed but I guess im just growing tired of it. I may be in the market for a new (to me) car. I would need for it to be under 5k and somewhat performance oriented with a decent aftermarket. I have no preferance to RWD or FWD as I have found that i wish I had most cars I see anyway. Just need some help narrowing it down. Oh but it does need to be manual. Thanks, Michael

Uh, Miata?

P71 wrote: Uh, Miata?

haha yea i was waiting for that one. Im just worried that a decent example might not leave me with much money aafterwards as im only a highschooler

E30... everything you like about your Fiesta with few of the drawbacks... it's like a vintage car that's completely practical in modern useage. Extremely reliable. My wife puts 25k a year on hers... and it's in the shop far less than anything else we drive regularly.

Bill

Alfa Milano.

I like my Milano way better than my e30.

It keeps a smile on my face in much the same way that my X1/9 did.

I like the recommendations so far considering that I currently own an old Miata and an E30. When I think to something more current I think the spirtual sucesser to the Festiva may be the Kia/Hyundai hathcbacks

This cost me $2500 plus about $700 since then (and $250 for Falkens). $5K will get you a mint late NA, usually an M-Edition.

festiva?

Milanos are good, just be careful with clutch issues. The clutch is durable if you drive it properly, but the throwout bearing is NLA except as part of the clutch kit, so replacing it is a $1k job if you use all new parts. Other than that, as long as you are good at electrical work, and you dont mind dealing with really dim headlights, they are nice cars.

IF, if, you want something like your Fiesta, might I suggest a Civic hatchback? If you go with a "bare-bones" Civic, a CX or DX from '92 to 95 has great aftermarket support. A (slightly?) more expensive 2 door coupe brings a little style in the mix. Or you can stay with the hatch and go for an Si. If you step up to a '96 thro 2000 Civic hatch or coupe, you can enjoy almost, but not as much aftermarket support as the earlier cars.

But if you want something different, most definitely look at a Miata. They can be had at many different price points and have "tons" of aftermarket support.

+1 on the Civic Hatch. Huge aftermarket support. Just watch out for all the cheap ebay junk parts that are out there

Mazda Protege circa 2002. Cheap durable and parts are available if you want to firm up the handling. We still have three in the family and you can drive them like you stole them from the principal and they still keep going.

festiva! there are all kinds of mazda powerplants that could make it more fun. KLZE? >:)

80s Dodge Ram. (In Top Gear's first US road trip, Hammond loved his to pieces) I always thought a white 87 Ram with BBS rims, fast (Vehicle speed) air ride, and small martini logos on the hood, doors, and tailgate would look cool as cool can be.

I always wanted a Fiesta.

E36, Impreza, Miata, S2000, C5, F150, Tundra in no special order.

I have an E36 325is and love it. It has 2047xx miles on it and runs like a champ. I even out-dragged a Civic with a hoodscoop! It never has any trouble, and I drive it to Summit Point (2hr drive) when I'm instructing PDX's. And take it on track for orientation drives (Its a slush-o-matic so I try to hang myself everytime I step in the car). I would also suggest a Miata, put nice shock/spring package with wheels, or else it might look gay, and a gay looking car in high school is not good. (I'm in High school too) I just picked up an ITA 89 Honda Civic Si 3dr to replace my FV I absoloutley love it. They still have an good aftermarket, so that's another cheap, reliable, quick car. Another good one is a 240sx, if the drifters haven't stolen them all in your area. Those are at least what I'm looking at before I leave for college. Good Luck, Steven

Huh wrote: I always thought a white 87 Ram with BBS rims, fast (Vehicle speed) air ride, and small martini logos on the hood, doors, and tailgate would look cool as cool can be.

You're sick man. But a good kind of sick...

wow lots of good ideas. I have always had a weird craving for milanos but I was under the impression that they constantly need work. Is this not so? How expensive are parts for those compared to other manufacturers?

Focus SVT. Fiesta on steroids.........

Euro design, great handling, twice the HP, blue oval depreciation (used bargain!). And it is a car from this century - technology has come a long way since the E30.

I have a milano, and other than the clutch, the parts arent that expensive. They do require regular timing belt replacement, but they are pretty easy to work on, and pretty reliable. The bad things are they do have electrical issues (mine has been only lighting related, everything else works fine), the headlights aren't very good, and they have very little ground clearance. If you can afford $1000 for a clutch if it needs it, and you are comfortable fixing wiring problems with the lights, it would probably be fine.

I love my Milano. I am replacing the TXV and it is a pain, but most cars that is the case.

I've been lucky with electrical issues, though we'll see if I can get the dash back in properly.

B13 Sentra SE-R or NX2000....

Why not a Benz 300 with air ride, and current AMG rims?

I would say a little P10 Infiniti G20, comes stock with the SR20, which has some poop to it. They are reasonably cheap though hard to find with a 5 speed and a decent interior, but that would be my choice since Miata and E30 have already been mentioned...