[liukb]

Hi all, looking to buy a second car for approx $3k or less to drive around and practice standard. What would be the most fun and at least semi reliable not having to worry about it break down? Tired of problems on my 335i, so I guess I should look into a Japanese car maybe to drive around, since I doubt older bmw's are any more reliable

[tegra7]

EG Civic, DA Integra, Maybe an FC RX7?

[ncrx]

ef civic si, ef crx si, if they're not rotted out, early miata, last forever and r fun

[IMASA]

1990's Miata
Posted via RS Mobile

[mb_]

EG, Miata

[AVS_Racing]

I thought about miata but that 1.6 is slowwwwwwwwwwwwww as hell:pokerface:

[hopalong]

Meeeeahhhhtaaa

[Purely]

EG Civic/S13 240sx/NA Miata

[essel]

NA Miatas!

[twitchyzero]

buy a badly TLC-needed 240SX and drift it off a cliff :ilied:

[Hondaracer]

93 mustang 5.0

[gilly]

ae86

[BrRsn]

5L stang could be fun if you spent some money on suspension rather than gofast goodies (stock 0-60 is ~ 6 seconds which is plenty fast)


Or meeatahhh

[punkwax]

Any time anyone wants a cheap, fun car to learn stick on, you ask (skip to 10 sec mark):

GO ICE - MUSTANG 5.0 - That's My Boy - YouTube

[swfk]

Miata or Foxbody Mustang! Because of their aftermarket support mainly. A cheap car you'll want to throw stuff onto it.

1.6 Miata isn't too shabby considering how light they are. Also Miata is not about straight line speed. It's about carrying that same speed in the corner like you stole the car :lawl:

[kakucaekz]

Another vote for NA Miata. Especially if they're modded right, can look pretty damn cool.

Also, DA Integra and if it's not rusted out, a MK1 MR2.

[mb_]

I thought about miata but that 1.6 is slowwwwwwwwwwwwww as hell:pokerface:

Don't need a fast car to have fun!

[skiiipi]

I thought about miata but that 1.6 is slowwwwwwwwwwwwww as hell:pokerface:

more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow

[dared3vil0]

Fast, Cheap, Reliable, choose two and get back to us.

[liukb]

thanks for all the suggestions guys, looks like the miata is pretty popular here. How are integras or 240sx compared to them?
Fast, Cheap, Reliable, choose two and get back to us.

Didn't say it had to be fast..my e92 is enough for that, just wanted something fun and wouldn't be bored of driving

[dared3vil0]

E92 what? M3? 335i? 323i? (curious)

I'd say if you have the "fast" car, go for a Miata.

[skiiipi]

thanks for all the suggestions guys, looks like the miata is pretty popular here. How are integras or 240sx compared to them?


Didn't say it had to be fast..my e92 is enough for that, just wanted something fun and wouldn't be bored of driving

Miata will be more fun to drive than integra since its rear wheel drive
and the ability to cruise around w/ the top down will be fun too

240 is a bit more practical, 4 seats, bigger trunk, so if you want a more practical car....and you will have more dignity driving in rush hour traffic in a 240 vs a miata...which is commonly referred to as a girls car by non-enthusiasts

[Energy]

Miata. Cheap, fun, reliable.

Its reputation for being a girl's car is slowly disappearing.

[liukb]

E92 what? M3? 335i? 323i? (curious)

I'd say if you have the "fast" car, go for a Miata.
335, fast enough for me lol. Guess I'll test drive one to get an idea first, anything to look out for with a miata?

[dared3vil0]

Ask a Miata guy. I have no idea.

[XplicitLuder]

Early integras/preludes ?
Posted via RS Mobile

[tofu1413]

mk3 7MGTE powered Supra!

tons of mods available, responsive to mods. Also reliable (if headgasket was changed)

[Gucci Mane]

good luck trying to get a decent foxbody for $3000 lol. all the ones worth buying are $7000+

[duy-]

*all cars based on my experience owning or driving*

ae86: the cars feedback is amazing, you'll really feel connected to the road... drivers car, it's just so rewarding to drive
miata: amazingly fun car, very peppy and light. potential is just ridiculously high, I have nothing but respect for this car... it'll go great with a cashmere sweater and a yorkie in a handbag
240sx: very practical, lots of space, very drivable, lots of torque. weld the diff to learn other things besides learning 5 speed
integra: easy to drive, practical, available parts, looks pretty cool slammed. not for me though on the count of fwd, not that a fwd can't be competitive as far as racing goes, just not the same kind of fun
mk1 mr2: as impractical as the miata but without the handling or any performance tbh, you can show off to your friends by spinning out.
eg: fun and does the job, nothing really extraordinary about it in stock form

if we're talking about 3000$ limit keeping all cars without modding (because that would break the budget)...
I would get the miata, 240 or ae86. I currently own 2 ae86, previously owned a 240sx and want to buy a miata. what stops me from getting the miata is just how impractical having 2 seats and a small trunk is. if it was a pure fully caged dedicated track car it's not a big deal, but even then I can't drive to the track on r compounds or carry 4 wheels with me.
the 240 I just didnt like working on
the ae86 is so taxed to hell nowadays that 3000$ would buy you a rust bucket.
so after that long rant... if it's a second car, miata. lol
Posted via RS Mobile

[320icar]

Miata 100%. I miss mine a hell of a lot. And the 1.6 isn't all that slow. The car is so balanced and light that you don't really notice that a Honda oddesy could just walk away at a red light.


But when the tops down, who cares! Nothing lets you have as much fun for the price
Posted via RS Mobile

[westopher]

Cant believe no one has said e30 yet.

[320icar]

Cuz for 3k you'll be left with an e30 that won't be as tight and nimble and will probably need the suspension rebuilt.


3k miata > 3k e30
Posted via RS Mobile

[jpark]

i vote for e30 325i

[asian_XL]

I bought a $1500 Nissan truck just for hauling shit around, it was fun as hell being a red neck and have a bimmer in the garage

[T4RAWR]

toyota pick up:

1992 Toyota Pickup deluxe ? SURREY ? For Sale (http://wwwa.autotrader.ca/a/Toyota/Pickup/SURREY/British+Columbia/19_7136271_/?showcpo=ShowCPO)

nissan pick up:

1991 Nissan Pickup ? MISSION ? For Sale (http://wwwa.autotrader.ca/a/Nissan/Pickup/MISSION/British+Columbia/19_7457194_/?showcpo=ShowCPO)

slightly above your budget but a land cruiser:

1985 Toyota Land Cruiser ? NEW WESTMINSTER ? For Sale (http://wwwa.autotrader.ca/a/Toyota/Land+Cruiser/NEW+WESTMINSTER/British+Columbia/19_7286116_/?showcpo=ShowCPO)





:fullofwin:

[dared3vil0]

:derp:

What part about "CAR" do you guys not understand?

[hk20000]

1989 VOLVO Bertone - some front-end damage (http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/rds/cto/4046968409.html)

Volvo 850 1994 (http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/rds/cto/3987770367.html)

[sonick]

http://dzasv7x7a867v.cloudfront.net/product_photos/1324208/miata-answer-onsite_large.png

[westopher]

Cuz for 3k you'll be left with an e30 that won't be as tight and nimble and will probably need the suspension rebuilt.


3k miata > 3k e30
Posted via RS Mobile
Both will be moderate shitboxes. You could find a fairly awesome condition mk1 rabbit/gti for 3000, as VW guys are usually broke as shit and always trying to get rid of the mk1 they impulse bought.

[dared3vil0]

^ Bad memories coming flooding back? :troll:

[GLOW]

Any time anyone wants a cheap, fun car to learn stick on, you ask (skip to 10 sec mark):

GO ICE - MUSTANG 5.0 - That's My Boy - YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quOvKwBHGkY)

first thought in this thread was 'rollin...in ma 5-point-0...with my rag top down so my hair can blow...' :lol

[sonick]

Also the next month or so is a good time to buy a Miata too, owners getting one last summer in before having to sell their 'verts so will be coming down in price before they give up and put it in storage for the winter to sell next year.

[westopher]

^ Bad memories coming flooding back? :troll:
I'm just bummed I never bought one. I'll pick one up to play with one day. Its just that I'd probably spend 6-7k on a 2000 dollar car the day I bought it.:badpokerface:

[Timpo]

miata

[Tapioca]

Cuz for 3k you'll be left with an e30 that won't be as tight and nimble and will probably need the suspension rebuilt.


3k miata > 3k e30
Posted via RS Mobile
BMW fanboy alert.

Yeah, but the BMW is somewhat more pratical and a legend itself. The roar of that old timing belt driven inline six is pretty damn addicting. Plus, E30s still get looks, whereas Miatas are a dime a dozen.

Besides, isn't the whole point of owning a sub-$3000 car learning how to fix it too? If you can turn a wrench, you can work on an E30 in your garage.
Posted via RS Mobile

[sonick]

miata

D... Did... did TIMPO just recommend a car OTHER than a GTR???

http://data.whicdn.com/images/14520810/mother-of-god-template_large.jpg

[liukb]

I've considered an e30 initially as well, but was thinking I couldn't get a great example for around 3k and that it would cost more to fix/have more problems. my 335 just had its water pump fail and that alone is costing approx $1500 ish with parts and labor lol

[Energy]

Should be covered under warranty right? But having to drive a loaner car while its being fixed does suck.

[liukb]

Should be covered under warranty right? But having to drive a loaner car while its being fixed does suck.

Unfortunately my warranty just ended in May so have to pay out of pocket for it

[kwy]

I would probably look at a Miata with some go-fast goodies. No reason why it has to be a great handler but not fast in a straight line as well.

1990 supercharged miata 200kms (http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/van/cto/4030427346.html)

Slowly losing its rep as a girls car and gaining one for being the car of choice for eccentric autocrossers.

[dark0821]

S13 240SX, try to find a stock one.. the KA24DE or even just the KA24E lasts forever on those cars... so its cheap and reliable...

and HALF the insurance cost VS MIATA!!!!

[tofu1413]

^ sell him yours! :troll:

[ilvtofu]

S13 240SX, try to find a stock one.. the KA24DE or even just the KA24E lasts forever on those cars... so its cheap and reliable...

and HALF the insurance cost VS MIATA!!!!

How much do you think insurance is on a miata...?
If I were 0% with $300 deductible collision/comprehensive, 3 mil third party, it'd be about $2400 a year.

[essel]

My S13 cost more to insure than my miata with the same rates

[kwy]

"S13 240SX, try to find a stock one.. "

lol

[tofu1413]

^ i've had two traded in at my dealer over the course of 9 months... :fullofwin: both were 5 speed, one was zenki, one was kouki...

hell dark0821 bought the zenki off me

[dared3vil0]

What were they asking for each if you remember? How many KM?

[T4RAWR]

i still think a 4x4, manual, toyota land cruiser 60 series would be an awesome fun choice.

winter is coming after all

http://image.4wheeloffroad.com/f/28047451/131_1004_01+buyers_guide_toyota_land_cruisers+FJ60 .jpg

http://image.fourwheeler.com/f/30200698/129_1009_02_o+129_1009_overland_expo_2010+toyota_l and_cruiser_front_tent_on_roof.jpg

great project vehicle and a nice change from a sports car

:fullofwin:

probably faster than a miata too :troll:

[jing]

^ i've had two traded in at my dealer over the course of 9 months... :fullofwin: both were 5 speed, one was zenki, one was kouki...

hell dark0821 bought the zenki off me

Chuuki... Couldn't have been a Kouki S13, unless it was an RHD model
Posted via RS Mobile

[tofu1413]

It was a north american LHD / cdn 1 owner 92' coupe. so north american "kouki"

listed it at 3995, sold the zenki SOHC to dark for much less than that tax incl :fullofwin:

[dark0821]

My 240sx was running with
40% disc, 3mil 3rd party, full comprehensive, 300 all around, pleasure use only,
$107 a month

I was gonna buy a NA miata off swk, same coverage as 240, ICBC quoted me $190 a month


So you tell me.....

[BBMme]

I would go for a late 80 MR2
Posted via RS Mobile

[ilvtofu]

My 240sx was running with
40% disc, 3mil 3rd party, full comprehensive, 300 all around, pleasure use only,
$107 a month

I was gonna buy a NA miata off swk, same coverage as 240, ICBC quoted me $190 a month


So you tell me.....

whoever gave you that quote fucked something up. I used to own that same exact miata before I sold it to SWFK and I paid $1800 a year with that coverage with only 15% discount. with 43% you're looking at about $100 a month

[swfk]

whoever gave you that quote fucked something up. I used to own that same exact miata before I sold it to SWFK and I paid $1800 a year with that coverage with only 15% discount. with 43% you're looking at about $100 a month

I drove it to school and work with the 15+km surcharge on *full* coverage at 15% discount, $2100 for the year.

Don't forget that 240 thieves are everywhere, ask dark0821 and jing about their 240s :troll:

[hk20000]

It was a north american LHD / cdn 1 owner 92' coupe. so north american "kouki"

listed it at 3995, sold the zenki SOHC to dark for much less than that tax incl :fullofwin:

The other one you had was a nice *cough* rust bucket *cough*.

[jing]

I drove it to school and work with the 15+km surcharge on *full* coverage at 15% discount, $2100 for the year.

Don't forget that 240 thieves are everywhere, ask dark0821 and jing about their 240s :troll:

:okay:
Posted via RS Mobile

[tofu1413]

The other one you had was a nice *cough* rust bucket *cough*.

got scrapped :okay:

[320icar]

BMW fanboy alert.

Yeah, but the BMW is somewhat more pratical and a legend itself. The roar of that old timing belt driven inline six is pretty damn addicting. Plus, E30s still get looks, whereas Miatas are a dime a dozen.

Besides, isn't the whole point of owning a sub-$3000 car learning how to fix it too? If you can turn a wrench, you can work on an E30 in your garage.
Posted via RS Mobile

I've owned a turbo'd e21, a beautiful slammed old e28 and two e30's (318ic and 325i touring) and can say without a shadow of doubt that the miata was more of a drivers car than any of those. I by no means am sayin they are BAD vehicles because we obviously know that's not true. But if I had some spare change to drop on a fun weekend vehicle, it would be the miata over an e30 any day. Who cares about rear seats or more cargo space on a weekend warrior or auto cross vehicle
Posted via RS Mobile

[sonick]

Plus, E30s still get looks, whereas Miatas are a dime a dozen.

I have owned both an E30 and a Miata.

E30's will get many looks/waves from people in all sorts of cars, but is mostly older dudes or other earlier-model BMW drivers.

Miatas are far from a dime a dozen, especially clean NA's. I got plenty of waves, head nods, high-beams, and headlight raises from other Miata owners. Also got more compliments from women in my little red Miata than E30. Kids also seem to like it too.

Also, as 320icar mentioned, while the E30 is no slouch and far better than most cars out there, the Miata is still absolutely more fun to drive than an E30, all things equal in stock form.

[320icar]

Hey! Sonick is still around! I miss your minty red e30. That was years ago..
Posted via RS Mobile

[sonick]

Haha I am still around mostly on here, not so much over at BCB or WCB. It wasn't too long ago, sold the E30 around exactly a year ago.

Also, I spotted you at The Pumphouse recently (notstalking) :pokerface:

[Phil@rise]

spitfire! love mine.

[liukb]

how does the mr2 compare to a miata?

[kakucaekz]

MR2

Turbo Mk2s are decently fast
Turbo ones also go for 5-7g
NA Mk2s can go for $3000, but it's pretty much a mid engined Camy, unless you get the JDM ones with the 3SGE
Limited storage space
MK1s are lighter, handle really well
Hard to find a Mk1 that's not rusted or rusting, neglected
Parts are getting harder and harder to find
Average DIYers might hate the MR layout for wrenching

Miata

Light, drop top, peppy roadster
Falls right under $3000 price range
Rust is a common issue, especially on the rocker panels
Limited storage space, yet again
FR roadster, nuff sed
Shifter is directly bolted to trans, so it shifts smoother than the MR2
Early ones with the 1.6 are kinda sluggish, depending on what car you're coming from
Lots of aftermarket support and parts availability

That's what I've pulled from my head, since I have a couple of friends who own Miatas and I'm constantly surrounded by MR2s lol.

[liukb]

Is maintenance and reliability about similar for the two? storage space/speed not too important to me since it'll be a secondary car

[tofu1413]

having owned both:

miata pros:

easier to source parts
dirt cheap to fix
everyone has a part for it somehow
open air goodness
balanced fun

SW20 MR2 pros:

bigger trunk space (two trunks!)
good power (even with the JDM G-limited N/A 3SGE)
good visibility
less rust prone
and the fact its mid engine yo!
Go kart handling (especially early pre revision models)

[320icar]

Maintenance in a miata is dead cheap. In the two years of ownership it never one didn't start, or leave me stranded. They can be modded super cheaply with med-quality (but no nice parts) goodies and look great. Pick up some 15x9 xxr's, some $350 race land coil overs and a GV rep lip for $80 and you have a great looking car that out handles nearly everything on the road.

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8066/8200781179_47c14cb277_c.jpg
Posted via RS Mobile

[tofu1413]

miatas are cheaper to mod though. trying to find parts for the MR2 is such a pain. its either too costly or the part is long discontinued.

[SpuGen]

Ahh MR2's.

This will be the 999th time I've bitched about it, but here goes.

Bleeding the clutch on an MR2 is retarded. See this shit?
Follow the blue arrow.

Who the fuck thought that would be a great idea? Hey, let's put the bleeder BELOW the slave cylinder, because fuck gravity right?
Took me, LemonT, and Cunnilinguist like 2 hours to bleed it. Then the symptoms came back a week later. I had to spend another 3 hours with another friend bleeding it.

Then we bled the system on his car. New Master, slave, Braided line. Dry. Took all of, I dunno.. 15 minutes? Like, every other car.

There is no fix, and nobody wants to bother figuring it out. The answer will always be "keep bleeding"

http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/4763/leakhd2.jpg


Sorry. The dickbag slave cylinder probably still had an air pocket in there, and it feels like a bag of dicks again. And I'm not fucking with it until I feel like putting in the braided line.

But yeah. SW20's are great fun.
Unless you like hooning.

Great grip car. Notso great when you run out of grip and you shit your pants.
When you get it right, it's awesome. If you pussy out and lift, you better have fast hands.

[Timpo]

http://www.ps-car.com/renew/garage/sports/img/aw11_1.jpg
http://www.ps-car.com/renew/garage/sports/img/aw11_2.jpg
http://www.ps-car.com/renew/garage/sports/img/aw11_3.jpg
http://www.ps-car.com/renew/garage/sports/img/aw11_4.jpg

[Timpo]

How much are these nowadays?

http://static.cargurus.com/images/site/2009/10/30/17/11/1987_porsche_924-pic-3576949429650698389.jpeg

[320icar]

Inb4topgearcheapporschereference
Posted via RS Mobile

[ilvtofu]

Is maintenance and reliability about similar for the two? storage space/speed not too important to me since it'll be a secondary car

miata is a lot easier to work on because FR layout drivetrain is spread out nice and clear. but always wanted an SW22 myself... just that miata fell into my budget range a lot easier. There are plenty of rust free miatas available too.
If you're looking to get into tracking miata is a pretty good beginners car.
the fact that new parts are regularly being developed to this day for an almost 25 year old car is astonishing. These cars turn into money pits just as fast as any other car though IMO. I think something like an EG civic is worth considering

Cons:
- Even when your car is not that low the seat is pretty damn low, maybe it's my bucket seat but getting in and out of the car with a top on is a pain, hence why i don't like dailying it.
- Pretty boring to drive slow, while its true driving slow car fast is fun, driving slow car slow is just as bad, if not worse.
- you kinda get what you pay for (<$3000) car likely will be a 1.6 and won't have LSD, might even have some body damage. IMO your best bet is to get a moderately done up one that someone has prepped for autox/track, usually around $4000-6000, will save you a lot of money in the long run, generally these cars are taken better care of anyways.
- Safety, I know its not your daily but you will need to learn new driving techniques, you really want to plant yourself in other drivers field of vision as even in stock form the car is too small to see. Most cars don't have ABS and none have TCS (not a big deal), earlier ones may not have front airbag.
- Cupholders!!! factory ones are shit... most NA's don't have them.
- used parts availability nowhere near as good as for a Civic

[320icar]

^^ if someone is gonna buy a miata, I will have the oem cup holders with branded covers, and cig tray in minty shape. Very hard to come by. And yes the miata becomes a money pit soooooooooo fast.

A clean civic hatch with a b18c swap should also be considered. I used to own an old DA integra and it also handled great on coils. Fantastic shifter feel and it would rev until the cows came home. Only real problem is then you get labelled as a civic owner.... You'll have to plaster it with local auto cross club stickers to save face
Posted via RS Mobile

[Xzecution'R]

1988-1991 mx-6 gt picked it up for 1,000 put another 500 into it for brakes and suspension upgrades and regular maintenance.

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y101/XzecutionR/2013-09-08161916.jpg (http://s4.photobucket.com/user/XzecutionR/media/2013-09-08161916.jpg.html)

[dark0821]

I drove it to school and work with the 15+km surcharge on *full* coverage at 15% discount, $2100 for the year.

Don't forget that 240 thieves are everywhere, ask dark0821 and jing about their 240s :troll:

that hurts yo.... :okay:

[JShifter]

never hurts to try a 93-96 prelude

[4nik8]

TL;DR
awd eclipse talon laser
ill sell you mine I want something more fuel efficient for school.

fastest 3k car money can buy.

[Gabagoo]

Might consider picking up a Miata during the winter - when people are selling them for cheap :fullofwin: