My 1997 Jetta with $40,000 worth of upgrades and work.
My 1997 Jetta with $40,000 worth of upgrades and work.
Speaking of AMGs, I seem to recall seeing prices on R63s around 35-40k. Possibly the most popular/famous grassroots kind of car. AWD for gravel adventure roads, horespowers and noise for highway stuff, rare as hell for car nerd gatherings, room for camping in. I don't see any downsides. well, maybe some faulty bolts but the fix is well documented.
For 13k I just got a Cayenne manual transmission with 265/65 tires and a roof basket. The redneck yuppie me is very happy.
barefootskater said:Speaking of AMGs, I seem to recall seeing prices on R63s around 35-40k. Possibly the most popular/famous grassroots kind of car. AWD for gravel adventure roads, horespowers and noise for highway stuff, rare as hell for car nerd gatherings, room for camping in. I don't see any downsides. well, maybe some faulty bolts but the fix is well documented.
It's too bad it's horrifically horrendous looking.
G_Body_Man said:
E39 M5, job done.
This was my first thought. Followed shortly by
And then
z31maniac said:barefootskater said:Speaking of AMGs, I seem to recall seeing prices on R63s around 35-40k. Possibly the most popular/famous grassroots kind of car. AWD for gravel adventure roads, horespowers and noise for highway stuff, rare as hell for car nerd gatherings, room for camping in. I don't see any downsides. well, maybe some faulty bolts but the fix is well documented.
It's too bad it's horrifically horrendous looking.
I'm gonna smack that smirk right off of you........
They're beautiful. Ish. If you squint. 
The main downside of any of the semi-exotics is getting them fixed if something goes wrong on the road. Look at the last 10 pages or so of the R63 thread and see what it took to get the transmission working properly agian for the current owner. Now do that 1k miles from home.
An old baby Bronco with a modern v8, suspension, and interior.
Unique, adaptable, with some modern touches wouldn't be a bad place to spend time, and could go just about anywhere if you can clear the bumpers.
Whatever makes the loudest, stupidest supercharger noises I can get for 40k. Hellcat, ctsV, shelby, whatever.
AWD supercharged Previa.
Dave M said:Jeep Cherokee XJ. Should cost you 1/10th of your budget. Get one with a stick, take it to Moab and have fun! Utah is incredible.
I've been across the country 5 times now in my 96, 2dr, 5spd, 4x4. Comfy as hell, 21-22mpg highway(remove the roofracks), handles better than it should(did the tail of the dragon), cruises quietly at 80mph and parts are available everywhere.
Foxbody mustang would be my choice but a more realistic idea would be a coyote powered mustang with an automatic. A tuned 3.5 eco boost explorer with decent tires would also work
$40k will do a exocet offroad and have funds left for an LS conversion.
RevRico said:An old baby Bronco with a modern v8, suspension, and interior.
Unique, adaptable, with some modern touches wouldn't be a bad place to spend time, and could go just about anywhere if you can clear the bumpers.
I would go this way as well. You want something that is going to start conversations. No where is an old bronco going to be not cool. Yuppies model types (Zoolander anyone?) to anyone anywhere in middle America are going to want to talk to you. 6 months is a long time, make some friends on the way, get invited to some local events, make some memories. Also, it will be worth the same or more when you are done.
In reply to buzzboy :
An XJ doesn't do anything quietly, much less cruise at 80mph!
buzzboy said:Dave M said:Jeep Cherokee XJ. Should cost you 1/10th of your budget. Get one with a stick, take it to Moab and have fun! Utah is incredible.
I've been across the country 5 times now in my 96, 2dr, 5spd, 4x4. Comfy as hell, 21-22mpg highway(remove the roofracks), handles better than it should(did the tail of the dragon), cruises quietly at 80mph and parts are available everywhere.
I wasn't joking! I did a cross country trip with my girlfriend in 99 and we spent three weeks wheeling and camping in Utah. Great trip and great Jeeps.
dculberson said:In reply to buzzboy :
An XJ doesn't do anything quietly, much less cruise at 80mph!
Now this part is true; the knobby tires made a heck of a racket and no way did we ever get up to 80!
In reply to dculberson :
If it's a 2wd on normal passenger car all seasons and you're 17 years old with a very low standard for what qualifies as "quiet", it's tolerable.
Mndsm said:Whatever makes the loudest, stupidest supercharger noises I can get for 40k. Hellcat, ctsV, shelby, whatever.
I like the clarity of thinking here.
In reply to John Welsh :
The national at DIA always has a great selection of off-road vehicles.
I'm big on large comfy cars to eat up miles.
BUT, Lets also have a little pep in the step, make V-8 noises and be able to take some corners.
LEXUS IS-F
that's how I'd do it with your budget. Find a solid example in the $25-30k range. Sit on the rest of the cash as a repair slush fund or maybe track day consumables slush fund or both!
Ever since I put my parents in a 2010 Lexus RX in the spring. I've been really into the comfort level. so that's my great/terrible suggestion
Porsche Boxster
I'd get the nicest one I could find with a manual clutch with a strong preference for Guards Red.
F'it, I'm out for 6 months on the road? I'm going with something like this and disappearing for weeks at a time down every interesting trail I can find.
Next choice is going to be a 4X4 Suburban or Yukon.
This is what I did my last 4k mile exploration in. I drive as little interstate as possible so it's back roads through the countryside for me. It worked perfectly.
Keith Tanner said:Mndsm said:Whatever makes the loudest, stupidest supercharger noises I can get for 40k. Hellcat, ctsV, shelby, whatever.
I like the clarity of thinking here.
I'll have mine in a tuned '03-'04 Terminator.
In reply to Toyman01 :
You don't need either of those to run down trails. A Murano Crosscabriolet with the doors removed and AT tires should manage it fantastically.
If this is going to be done, it should be done properly.
Loving all these responses so far. Guess I got some test drives to line up!
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