Which car to use as a base for a performance/project vehicle?

[Loken]

Hey guys. I own a 1.2 corsa at the moment, purely because insurance is cheap but lately i've been wanting to modify the corsa, and even considered doing a 1.8 engine swap, so I can do some engine mods as well (because the gains from the 1.2 will be a giant waste of money).

So I've decided to keep the corsa as it is, use it for day to day driving because of the efficiency, and buy another car to work on for the next year or so.

I'll be 21 in October next year and my insurance should go down quite a bit, so i'll spend the next year with the car off the road, purely working on it.

So my question is, what car do you think would be the best/most fun to work on? I don't want anything higher than 2.0L, and for experience purposes, I would like to buy the shell and build it up from scratch. I know it will cost more, but I want to do it for the fun and personal achievement.

 

[teaszer]

I dunno about you but i just love Polo Mk4's , They got looks and there is soo much you can do to them .
You mod it a little and it will look soo much better

 

[obi_waynne]

What about going old skool, get a MK1 escort and drop in a 2.0 Sierra engine for a bit of RWD fun?

 

[dpsubaru]

waynne - would have thought not easy to get a MK1 shell anymore.
How about building an impreza, often shells around for these especially the early ones and large power gains can be had. (also earlier ones are lighter as standard).

 

[Loken]

Yeah i've thought about going the old school route and getting a MK2 Golf or something, but to be honest I'm more of a fan of modern(ish) cars. I've been looking at a Mx-5. Any thoughts?

 

[Prince]

Honda CRX, that or an EG imo.

 

[Loken]

Funnily enough, I was looking at a CRX a couple of months ago ;P It's a possibility.

 

[Loz]

Rover 100

...Or how about an MG ZS 180? Great handling 2.5 V6 & a low millage one can be bought for a song. :bigsmile:

 

[speedy]

nissan 200 sx

 

[Loken]

compared to an MX5, how much more expensive would an MR2 be? And do they have good potential?

 

[BluntyR5GTT]

how much are you going to have to spend on a car if your more of a hot hatch person then what about something like a 106 gti or saxo vts 9yes i know they have a bit of a bad rep but trust me these cars are mint with a few tweeks and are really good on a track. or you could pick a renault clio williams up again an absolute awesome track toy with a very tunable engine

 

[Loken]

Hm I thought about the gti, but to be honest I want something I am happy to look at first, and then think about performance/engine/etc. And i've always wanted a Jap car, so I'd like to go for something like the mx5 or del sol.

As for money, I don't want to spend loads because im still only 19 and I'm not earning a great deal so I would like to buy one cheap and completely redo it from scratch. I know in the long run it will probably end up costing me serious £££ once i get started, but for now I have quite a tight budget ;P It doesn't matter if it doesn't run when i buy it, It can be off the road for as long as it takes because I have a runabout car.

 

[Bertrum]

nissan 200 sx

Seconded!

You can pick up dirt cheap 200sx S13's for pennies. They obviously need work but thats what your looking for. The engine as it is, is very tuneable or if you fancy it you can drop the RB25DET engine from the Skyline for serious power.

Loads of bits still about and also cheap to buy both aftermarket and OEM parts.

Just be careful if you do go for one though, if youve got money to spare (or not even to spare) you'll want to spend it on the 200.

Make sure you go for a manual though, much more fun.

 

[Loken]

Just been looking at the 200sx. Must say its a lovely looking car. Ill keep it in mind

Any other thoughts?

 

[Prince]

106 GTi?

 

[poutsoulas1]

Just been looking at the 200sx. Must say its a lovely looking car. Ill keep it in mind

Any other thoughts?

no nissan 200 sx with rb34 motor

 

[obi_waynne]

The MR2 you mentioned is a nice car. Being mid mounted I would have thought the engine would be a nightmare to work on but there are quite a few parts around for them.

The Nissan 200sx is probably the best suggestion yet, they are fun RWD cars and there are lots of tuning options around for them. It is also worth looking at the Silvia and the 180sx as these are sometimes more readily available and cheaper due to their age.

 

[aston]

Porsche 924, mazda MX5, BMW e36 325i, Rover 100 with vvc upgrade, Prelude V=tec, Hillman IMP, Primera GT, pug 106, 205, 306, All great drivers cars and cheap

 

[thexav]

Porsche 924, mazda MX5, BMW e36 325i, Rover 100 with vvc upgrade, Prelude V=tec, Hillman IMP, Primera GT, pug 106, 205, 306, All great drivers cars and cheap

Some interesting suggestions in there matey! Talk about a wide choice.