dosterschill

my mother recently informed me that for my upcoming graduation from high school, i would be given $8000 (give or take) to spend on the car of my choice. i realize this isnt much, but it doesn't include any of the money i intend to invest in the vehicle over the years to come. and, as i have been a long time reader of this excellent forum, i thought it would be appropriate to bring my dillemma (sp) here. so, here it is: what make, model, and trim should i select?
the main hindrance and stipulation is i can never swap the engine, although i can seriously mod the thing out. i would like a small coupe, preferably lightweight as opposed to heavier and more powerful. in turn, the thing needs potential under the hood and the roof.
i realize this question is seriously wide open and im leaving it that way to get some fresh perspectives on the topic. i also chose to post a not neccessarily honda-involved issue in this forum because of the objectivity that most threads are dealt with.
thanks again.

dosterschill

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Battle Pope

Look for a '98-'00 Civic Si. You probably won't find one for under 8k, but if you're gonna look for a Honda coupe, that's gonna be it, if you can't swap the motor.

Maybe look into '95 and up Prelude VTECs? In all honesty it depends on what your preferences on performance, transmission, RWD or FWD, mileage, insurance...

Shed a little more light on your situation.

Slammed89Integra

I get about the same deal, and about the same circumstances this coming spring.

If I play my cards right, I might be in a GSR by march.

BodyDroppedNikes

hell any Integra from 1990-2001 will work...

Calesta

94-95 Integra GSR or 99-00 Civic Si. Turbo either one and add a competent suspension and you'll have one hell of a ride.

Havok

No swap? Del Sol DOHC VTEC....no swap != no boost. B16 del sol, turbo or supercharged will hand some people their asses. That's my recommendation for a Honda FWD. There' about a bajillion other options that would be better than a FWD Honda, though, especially for 8,000.

micah

hell yeah a dohc sol ftw if your going honda, by far the most fun ive had driving a vehicle.

if not a honda id say a mid 90's 240 sx if your looking for rwd, or maybe a late 90's golf 1.8t for a car thats turbo stock (easy to upgrade) with some good torque

B16

hey, i have a del sol vtec fun car, she's soley my track toy now.

dosterschill

thanks for the replies.
to be a little more specific, im interested in something comfortably achieving mid 12s after heavy modification.
in regards to drivetrain and such, id prefer either rwd or awd, but fwd will do just fine.
once again i appreciate the responses fellas.
(any more would still be great)


dosterschill

Seany-izzle

96 bmw 330 2 door
1st or 3rd gen eclipse gsx.

Battle Pope

'98 or so Subaru Impreza 2.5RS - AWD

You might find a low-miles '91 or '92 Supra Turbo for just under 8k.

Citizen_Insane

Datsun 240/260/280z (with a v8 swap?)

or a sr20det swapped 240sx.

or an early '90's 300zx.

SolPWR

Trans Am Ws6

dosterschill

btw
according to autotrader.com no 330 was made in '96... which model might you mean?
ty
dosterschill

sohcslammer

325IS or the M-thrizzle

YouKnowWhoIBee

Anything but a honda. For 8 grand i would check into a vw maybe a 99-00. Also look into the older bmws like a 94-98. You will feel much better about yourself then buying a honda. Yes i have owned many of hondas but anyway you look at it, it is a honda. Built for fuel economy. You have to put hundreds of dollars in them just to merge in on the highway for crips sake. But it is up to you but i am giving my .02

Seany-izzle

325 is what i meant. bmw will cost 100's per tuneup, if you go to a mechanic. just keep up with oil changes, tranny fluid, and all that stuff regularly you can steer clear of the shop. my friends dad has a new m3 and had a bmw in the past, he didnt have problems with it. learn to do things yourself and youll save money.

YouKnowWhoIBee

HOw many times do you have to do a tune up in a bmw? I dont know about you but i dont do tune ups every month or year/ usually i do a tune up every 50000 miles and i am sure in the 3 years he has the car and then decided to do a tune up he will have the cash.

reckedracing

tune up has nothing to do with the mechanic

spark plug wires have resistors on both ends, meaning the wires alone cost approx 300 bucks...

at least they did for mine...
and if this will be your car, then i would look to see what car retains its resale valve the best, as well as which one will be cheapest to insure, but then again, that may be covered for you...

and anything can reach 12's with heavy mods

whats your goals for now...?
you want a 3K car and the other 5K for mods?
or do you want a 8K car, and then worry about mods later?

__________________
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preludebuddy

also depends on how much insurance you're gonna pay. the civic si 99-00 was rated the #1 stolen car a while back. it was gonna be 300 something a month for me to get one. preludes and integra coupes are considered sports cars. i dont know about the del sols. but if you want awd and dont absolutely love hondas like me i'd say eclipse gsx or talon tsi...

JDMilan

down payment on a new car that isn't FWD

Floydy

The older 5.0 mustangs are not too expensive.

pissedoffsol

must be nice.

i got $50 for graduating.

Battle Pope

SUBI IMPREZA 2.5RS DAMMIT

dosterschill

firstly, i'd like to say thanks to pissedoffsol for gracing us with his presence on this thread.
secondly, thanks again for the great, unbiased opinions.
finally, insurance is of some importance to me (and my parents), and so any cars that would meet the criteria of low insurance payments would most nearly solidify our purchase.

(8k is for car only, no mods)

dosterschill