Performance Car Bargain

[AcidicDreams 10+ year member]

I'm looking for just the right performance bargain in cars... I've looked far and wide but I'm just not sure I've thought of everything so here are my conditions:

Under 5k total (including buying cheap cars that need maintenance)

AWD or FWD (Live in NH, lots of snow driving)

200hp minimum stock

reasonable aftermarket community

helpful to have a thriving online forum

mid-size or full size sedans and wagons. No trucks or small cars

reliable in the 200-300hp range

well planted on the road

I've owned two Taurus SHO's which where a blast but a maintenance nightmare. I've looked at volvo's (V70R, S80 etc), Galant VR-4's (seem overpriced for age and condition, hard to find).

I'd like to NOT add turbo's to non turbo engines (no freakin' honda's) or end up with something that isn't any fun to drive... any suggestions?

Click to read more...

 

[DownSouth954 10+ year member]

A fox body Mustang GT would fit the bill nicely but of course it's RWD...

Maybe an SVT Contour?

 

[wccoug21 10+ year member]

i suggest you get more money

 

[DDeitz 10+ year member]

you could try for any VR4 granted finding a 3000gt for 5k might be hard...celica gt4's ....not sure man but good luck //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

if you wanted a car for 2k and 3k for the engine thats a diff story..but 200 plus hp stock is not that common

 

[dumple 5,000+ posts]

DSM's 90-94 mitsubishi eclipse gsx, eagle talon, plymouth lasers

Gallant vr4 would be naaasty ugly car sleeper for sure

dsmtuners.com

 

[AcidicDreams 10+ year member]

A fox body Mustang GT would fit the bill nicely but of course it's RWD...
Maybe an SVT Contour?

RWD and lacking in interior space, no thanks... thought about SVT countour but eh...

 

[AcidicDreams 10+ year member]

you could try for any VR4 granted finding a 3000gt for 5k might be hard...

galant.... not 3000gt... those are fugly and more than I want to spend....

 

[AcidicDreams 10+ year member]

DSM's 90-94 mitsubishi eclipse gsx, eagle talon, plymouth lasers
Gallant vr4 would be naaasty ugly car sleeper for sure

dsmtuners.com

my only worry on the exlipse/talon/laser end is the amount of those cars that have been in the hands of real hacks or have been riced is pretty high...

The VR-4 is really down my ally but the interior is so-so and like I said they are hard to find.....

 

[AcidicDreams 10+ year member]

i suggest you get more money

there are more important things than my car for now... like a house, retirement savings etc... there will be more money for cars later but for now I'm looking for a top notch deal....

 

[MEMPHISFLEX 10+ year member]

need to look into something along the lines of a eclipse gsx turbo awd, but that will be tuff at that price, or maybe something like a 1989-1992 Probe turbo 5spd, you might laugh but there a blast, torque steer from holy hell

 

[InhumanAcura 5,000+ posts]

whats your objective? do you want a car that handles well? or something that goes fast in a straight line..

 

[IDSkoT 5,000+ posts]

5K for a 200>hp stock engine that's RWD/AWD that isn't a Honda...?

LOL!

LOL!

LOL!

Get more money.

Or settle for a Foxbody.

Or try to find an eclipse. They're AWD, but IDK about the HP.

 

[Hintzyboy 5,000+ posts]

I'd look at an Eclipse GSX or Talon TSI. Turbo and AWD make for a nice start. As long as no one else has tried to mess with it. Would be a candidate for my next car, but I need something with four doors and decent cargo space. I drive a std cab truck now that's just not cutting it for space.

 

[Terranova 10+ year member]

if you can find one get a dodge stealth with the 3.8l turbo. those *****es are fast! or get a few more bucks and try to find a SRT4 neon, thos things beat vetes off the line easy. the stealth is basically an exact replica of a 3000gt so if you can find a 3000gt then get that. like said before get a decent looking car for 2k and then put the rest into a performance engine.

 

[Terranova 10+ year member]

i am sorry but if your looking at top of 5k then you cant be too picky..get an older Z28 camaro, just have a trustworthy mechanic check EVERYTHING in/out.