Well, as many of you read my 98 was stolen last month. It was recovered, stripped bare to the metal (except the front fenders and hood which were also removed, JDM). Now I'm kind of getting over the fact that I won't have my car back, so I'm looking for something new. Insurance somehow decided that the "market value" for my car was ~$18,000 (98 R with 39k miles, JDM front, mint). My initial plan was to buy back what I could and put it in a hatch, but the engine is still yet to be recovered and apparently the thieves did a hack job on a lot of the parts, so I'm not sure about that option anymore. I'm hoping to hear some suggestions for something under $20k. I've thought about another ITR, Civic Hatchcrap, 240SX, E30 M3, even <gasp> a Mustang Cobra. What do you think?

 

you can find a nice E30 M3 for under $20K, and have plenty of money left over for repairs/mods

cobra is fast, but nowhere near as fun to drive


[Modified by Rob1035, 10:54 PM 3/20/2002]

 

I keep saying my next (daily driven) car will be a Cobra. The '03s will be supercharged and have 390hp

And just think...all these morons stealing our Type-Rs think that Mustangs are slow. You can park that Cobra at the movies or the mall in New Jersey or CA and no one will touch them.

Ross - who wonders why he doesn't have a down payment on a Cobra right now

 

m3

 

or take the cobra decals off..make it a sleeper


i love the E30 M3...but honestly, being that old, it might be hard to have it as a daily driver due to the lack of creature comforts, and the fact that its very hard to find parts for it..which end up costing an arm and a leg. Trust me, I know..my dad had one a few years back..he loved it..but not the maintenance on it.

 

I would consider the WRX, but that's over 20k. Maybe a 2001 Prelude? You still might be able to find them on the lots.

 

If it were up to me ...

I'd probably would swing towards either a 240SX, Miata or MR2 Spyder. As much as I would want an E30 M3 ... replacement parts can be expensive. The Cobra is really tempting but I'd want a more low key and lower insurance cost automobile next time around.

 

I'd love to find a nice E30, but that seem to be a bit few and far between, atleast in this area. How's the availability of parts on those? I don't think I could see myself driving a Miata, no offense to anyone. Oh yeah, my other thought was a 96-97 Volvo 850 turbo wagon

 

parts for the e30 are definately plentiful, but there expensive.

 

yeah I forgot the insurance on Mustangs is a BITCH...even the V6 models.

 

well youre gonna need to do some research

240sx with a sr20det swap. rwd + turbo. :D

but, if youre really down for an adventure, get an rx7 for around $15k and spend the extra money on fixing it up. learn about them and what you need to replace to guarantee stability.

 

How about the E36 M3 96 one?? not sure about the price though...maybe you can get it around 20Ks, with relatively high mileage

 

get a 93.5+ supra tt... you can find them under 20 for the older ones...
they are fast, cool, handle/brake good, real easy to get power out of...
insurance can be steep if you are young, or have a bad driving record

 

I´d get a white WRX. My friend has one.. it´s SWEET!

 

If you're serious about looking for an E30 M3, let me know. 2 folks just posted up some nice 2.5L E30 M3's for sale on the E30 M3 SIG list.

Parts aren't as hard to find as you think they might be. You can get them pretty easily from E30 M3 SIG sponsors like Turner Motorsport, Bimmerworld, etc.

Warren

 

That's kind of ironic that you bring up that point about a Mustang as a daily driver because of fear of theft...

In the late 80s and early 90s, you could not park your 5.0 Mustang anywhere without fear of it being stolen and having the motor ripped out and swapped into another car... It was THE hot car to steal for many years. It still probably is to a certain extent, but no where near the theft epidemic Mustang owners used to face...

Now today, it's Integras that theives target for their motors, and no one cares about Mustangs anymore...

Andrew

 

I dont like civic hatches. It is kind of a step down from your "r" RIP. I hear ya on the stolen stuff, but getting another honda wouldnt help. I say save up some $ and get a WRX. With a few bolt on's, you got 13.2 in the 1/4. BMW are crazy $ to repair.

 

Get an Audi 1.8T Quattro. Those things have a robust engine that responds well to mods, is totally stealthy and still has room for the honeys in the back.

 

another one buys into the classic IMPORTS 4 LIFE, DOMESTICS CANT TURN theory. Youve obviously never really driven a mustang cobra and just say what other people tell you. I can bet that Cobra's cobra out handles your ITR... Its not that hard people. Ford has a mustang that is 500 N/A HP with IRS and 50 -50 weight. It out laps Vipers by a full second and vette's by 2. I dont want to know how badly it whoops an M3 in the same situation. I believe you can buy the kit for the new mustang cobra with IRS...Trust me, you can get a mustang to handle very very well and for very very cheap compared to imports... I was BIG into the mustang scene before getting my ITR.

Get a cobra convert, a nice susp set up, hard tonuea from Saleen with light bar, a bassani X pipe and some good mufflers.

 

Get a Cobra Rrrrrr!! best of all worlds. hey you can pick up a 2000 for only 60k or so

I would go with either the E30 M3 (so damn sweet!!) or a 240SX w/ sr20 and nice suspension. make it a track monster.

Hatches are ok but theyre getting too common, like all hondas i guess, and the temptation for theives will still be there. And its still a hybrid...ahhhh! damn wannabes hehe

 

An S14 with sr20det would really be sweet, I'm just not sure about that happening, besides I know **** about Nissans, I guess it could be a learning experience. I would only go with the hatch if I could use the suspension, motor, etc. off of my old R. I'm hesitant to drop alot of money into a motor, that seems like sunk cost that won't be recovered if the car is sold, versus something with some residual value outside of what I put into it.
I still like the idea of a Cobra (granted probably not the new body style), they don't handle as well as the R, but what does for under $30k? Warren, are these E30s on the East Coast? They're pretty rare around here. Unless I talk my buddy out of his 9k mile yellow 93 RX-7 R1 (that's not going to happen), then I'm probably looking at an E30, 98 ITR, or a 98 Cobra.
thanks for everyone's opinions. any other thought?

 

naw man get a used miata and turbo it, big boost lotta boost

 

E30 M3's can be found on both coasts, along with tuners and parts. Actually a really good friend of mine is in the BMW motor building business. His personal e30 m3 has a 270hp/mad torque 6 cylinder that weighs less than the stock four. his sons car is currently awaiting a ***** out 3.2l 6pot that will be very, very fast.

 

Go domestic...nothing wrong with that. I plan on a z06 soon. I'm waiting too see what the 2003 model year offers...possibly 425hp+. Even if it unchanged, I'll probably still get it.


[Modified by Jon7, 7:04 PM 3/21/2002]

 

Lets see, you can pick up an early model SN95 Mustang GT for about 14Gs, 2 Gs on the suspension, 500 for the toneau and light bar, 450 for the Bassani, 500 for the muffs.. So im over by about 500 bucks sue me.

Actually a good friend of mine has a stock low mileage 98 Cobra Convertible and he lets me drive it all the time - and that thing is a freaking TANK. I hate the way it handles, it is nowhere near the R (at least stock for stock) and I don't really enjoy driving it. The live axel suspension feels like garbage, the slippery leather seats offer no lateral support, and the thing is a huge gas hog (lets not even talk about insurance).[/quote]

Then im going to say it... you cant drive a RWD car. WHat about the 5500RPM burnouts, tossing the back end around... You cant do any of that in an ITR. Its a different car Enjoy it for what it is. An over powered RWD car for doing donuts and burnouts in stock form... We are talking street here. Never once did any kind of car ever get away from me on the street with my Cobra. Not even the legendary M3... I was always in fron after starting behind. Track is different. I know very few people that would take a stock mustang of any kind (sans Cobra R) onto a track. talk about deathwish.

Never said you could. I was mearly bringing up the point that Mustangs can and will handle when do properly. Since you are unaware of this fact and the FR500, I felt compelled to defend the car..

Then you should drive my friends cobra. Damn is his car feels light... Sure he did work to it, but so what? Stock to stock ITR to Cobra is like hamburger to T-bone respectivly.


And i stand by mine since you have never driven a real mustang here. 96-98 converts were the WORST. They had the most bodyflex and the weakest 4.6L motor of the current gens. Get in a real mustng like my friend Kevin's. He has no rear seat, Reacaros, 5 poitn harness, Griggs susp, all kind of mods. It throwing down like 450+ and it can out handle my ITR. And in this rare case, he has spent less money than I have. He bought the car wrecked and used his body skills to fix it at basically cost plus his time...