£4000 and in need of some rwd fun

£4000 and in need of some rwd fun

Author
Discussion

tamago

Original Poster:

532 posts

269 months

Saturday 13th September 2003
quotequote all
I like the Mk Vi Supra but looks like non turbo versions or a very tired 200 SX.

Twin turbo 300 ZX interesting but not too sure of styling.

£4K says MR2 turbo, but would like a 4 seater. anyone with ideas or Jap import websites?

anonymous-user

61 months

Saturday 13th September 2003
quotequote all
tamago said:
I like the Mk Vi Supra but looks like non turbo versions or a very tired 200 SX.

Twin turbo 300 ZX interesting but not too sure of styling.

£4K says MR2 turbo, but would like a 4 seater. anyone with ideas or Jap import websites?



MKIV Supra's have virtually no rear leg room, when the front seat is full back it touches the rear seat!!

The Non Turbo MKIV put out about 224bhp IIRC, about 10bhp down on the Turbo version of the MKiii.
Saying that the MKiv is much lighter, so perfomance shouldn't be too bad.

Lee

shadowninja

77,495 posts

289 months

Saturday 13th September 2003
quotequote all
my 200sx 1.8 turbo for £2500
(www.pistonheads.com/sales/detail.asp?i=13364&sc=IYVA&s=69)

cheap to run, reliable, quick, easy to tune.

Mr E

22,127 posts

266 months

Tuesday 16th September 2003
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Pulsar?
I think 180/200 SX is probably the way to go though....

Sparks

1,217 posts

286 months

Tuesday 16th September 2003
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Pretty old now, but Mazda did a 323 RWD, but I can't remember anymore info on it.

Unmentioned so far is a BMW. Plenty around for 4K, but could you put up with the image?

Sparks

shadowninja

77,495 posts

289 months

Tuesday 16th September 2003
quotequote all
Mr E said:
Pulsar?
I think 180/200 SX is probably the way to go though....




*points up a couple of posts*

tamago

Original Poster:

532 posts

269 months

Tuesday 16th September 2003
quotequote all
Thanks chaps - i would have thought MKIV Supras (non turbos) would have hit the magic £4K by now...keeping a keen eye out on the import websites...

GT4 is a good suggestion... I am gonna lock myself away this w/e with a couple of copies of Autotrader...!

Mr E

22,127 posts

266 months

Tuesday 16th September 2003
quotequote all
tamago said:

GT4 is a good suggestion... I am gonna lock myself away this w/e with a couple of copies of Autotrader...!


GT-Fours are great. I have one and I love it to bits.

However, not RWD. 4K would get you a good ST185 (pop up lights version)

www.gt4oc.com for more info.

Mr E

22,127 posts

266 months

Tuesday 16th September 2003
quotequote all
Or;

www.pistonheads.com/sales/detail.asp?i=12248&sc=142Q&s=156

Gives you some change to tidy it up a bit.

Just beware. If you can't afford a good one, you can't afford to run a bad one.....

trackdemon

12,318 posts

268 months

Tuesday 16th September 2003
quotequote all
Tien, you mad crazy man! You already have the most fun RWD around! Seriosuly though, for £4k you should consider non Japanese cars - good as they are.
Plenty older BMW's around at this money, but how about these alternatives:

Alfa 75 V6 - one of the best engines around, and super handling. Plenty specialists to look after it too....

Ford Capri V6 - great fun to drive, just finding one without rust...

Ford Sierra Cossie - £4k a bit thin for a decent one, but they do exist

Jaguar XJS - £4k enough for a half decent 3.6, maybe even a 4.0. I'd be scared of a V12 at this cash.

Lancia HF / Integrale - Finding one might be difficult, and no RWD but great cars nonetheless

Lotus Excel - Fragile but fun

Porsche 944 - Sturdy but slightly dull / predictable

Renault GTA - Fragile, rare, beautiful

Vauxhall Carlton GSi 24v - Big old bus, but terrific fun with a fair turn of speed in 24v guise

Of course there's all the usual suspects from Japan:

Isuzu Piazza - Find one, where do you service it?
Mazda RX7 - £4k buys a tidy MkII Turbo, just beware the rotor tips
Mitsubishi Starion - Rare, different, good fun.
Nissan 200SX - Safe choice, but good cars all the same. £4k easily buys a tidy MkII. 300ZXTT too cheap at this money - only for the very brave / mechanically minded.
Subaru - Does £4k buy a non-trashed Imprezza? If so, worth a look
Toyota Supra - Bit lardy, not much fun but comfortable
Toyota Corolla Coupe - late 80's RWD version great fun, still a good club rally car and tough to boot.

I'd go have a look at a sharknose BMW 635CSi - always liked the 6 shape and its got a great engine. Great all rounder; peformance, comfort, build, space, handling (lots of sideways available in the wet).

Heartily recommend the Alfa 164V6 too, had one before the TVR - fabulous engine. But then you'd already know that

Mr E

22,127 posts

266 months

Tuesday 16th September 2003
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Gazboy said:

That must be the quote of the month!


It is my standard line to anyone considering buying a 4wd turbocharged rally car that once cost in excess of 30K.

You *will* get big bills if it goes wrong.

Mr E

22,127 posts

266 months

Tuesday 16th September 2003
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Gazboy said:
I have to ask, why do you want a 4k rear driver, when you've got a Chimera and Alfa 3v6?


He who dies with the most toys, wins.

Broccers

3,236 posts

260 months

Wednesday 17th September 2003
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Re the Starion suggestion.

I've the car below 2.6 Turbo and while it drives very well parts are exremely expensive and hard to come by. Saying that there is a good owners club who are very helpful. Not many about in good nick though.

www.evoposters.net/carpics/album19/Muppet_Starion_001.sized.jpg|www.evoposters.net/carpics/album19/Muppet_Starion_001.sized.jpg

>> Edited by Broccers on Wednesday 17th September 10:31

tamago

Original Poster:

532 posts

269 months

Wednesday 17th September 2003
quotequote all
trackdemon said:
Isuzu Piazza - Find one, where do you service it?


WOW! You've heard of the Isuzu Piazza?

My mum bought one when Alan Day, the Nth London Merc dealer were selling them off cheap. It was back in 87 and it was a D reg. I remember it really well since it arrived only a couple of weeks after I passed my driving test and by that time I had got a bit bored with my bronze 1.2 Clio. (we all have to start somewhere - but no I didn't spray the wheels gold to pass it off as a Williams!)

When I was allowed out in it I must say that it was THAT car that gave me the need for speed! It had all the toys for a £8995 car and it was 130bhp, quite alot for a 17 yr old in those days! Anyway, my mum, who, sad too admit, is a bit of a numpty on the roads(!) and crashed it a few times and in the end the insurers decided it was time to send it up to Isuzu heaven...

Isuzu discontinued them a short while after, concentrating on the 4x4 Troopers ... I would seriously consider one if I see an unabused one. They are a few hundred quid now and it might be worth hooning one around a couple of laps at Rockingham.

It got panned in the automotive press though, something about the ancient leaf suspension. Not too sure what that means but it seriously didn't matter when I was 17!

Good suggestions on the rest. There are more cars circled in Autotrader now!

tamago

Original Poster:

532 posts

269 months

Wednesday 17th September 2003
quotequote all
Gazboy said:
I have to ask, why do you want a 4k rear driver, when you've got a Chimera and Alfa 3v6?



Good question. I am lazy and haven`t updated my profile. Oh well, just updated it and basically the answer is I sold the Alfa 164 V6 in the spring. It was a very good car, no problems and sold to another Alfa enthusiast (bought for £800 and sold for £700 after around 2 years!!).

Am thinking of going to a couple of track days and being a bit of a chicken, I don't want to track it in the Chim, so looking for a relatively low cost, low maintainence set of wheels which has the potential to be tuned up performance wise (hence japanese cars) once the overdraft gets extended!

>> Edited by tamago on Wednesday 17th September 23:24

tamago

Original Poster:

532 posts

269 months

Wednesday 17th September 2003
quotequote all
Gazboy said:
E30 M3?


Perfect for tracking and I like the icon/classic status but not for £4K surely??

gruffy

7,212 posts

266 months

Thursday 18th September 2003
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If it's for track shenanigans you could look at an mx5. Cheap, chuckable, hard to break, easy to tune.

trackdemon

12,318 posts

268 months

Thursday 18th September 2003
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gruffy said:
If it's for track shenanigans you could look at an mx5. Cheap, chuckable, hard to break, easy to tune.


Seconded. The perfect car to learn the art of drift.

tamago

Original Poster:

532 posts

269 months

Thursday 18th September 2003
quotequote all
gruffy said:
If it's for track shenanigans you could look at an mx5. Cheap, chuckable, hard to break, easy to tune.


younger sis just started her first job and is looking at an imported Eunos...if i ask nicely....

shadowninja

77,495 posts

289 months

Thursday 18th September 2003
quotequote all
hmm

apart from the AE86 (Toyota Corolla) and RX7, the other cult drift car is the 200sx... one of which is for sale :shamelessplug:

if the mx5 is easy to tune, then the 200sx is VERY easy to tune (£1000 would give you about 230bhp from 170bhp in S13 form)