I have many choices and while it is mostly down to the availability of a decently priced specimen in my area...I would also like the know what people think I should get.

Will this be your daily driver in winter in Maine?

First off...w/any post...you should say what this car will be for...street racing, drag racing, road racing etc...

So we can give better answers than our personal preferences/opinions

240SX would be good...but it does need more power...everyone knows that...but w/so much documentation of swaps and such and good potential in the KA24DE already...you are very much open to do what you want...very nice platform to build off...

Grade B- (w/o boost) A- (w/boost)

MR2 is a very good car...relatively light, handles well and the engine is good for up to 500hp on stock internals...(I know a guy at Garage Advance had his dyno at 505rwhp on stock internals)...problem is more than anything...finding one in good condition...

Grade A-

The RX7 is very similar to the MR2 in respects to being turbo, light (about the same weight), 2 seater car of fun...but it has it's reliability issues..but looks so damn good...and can handle better than the MR2 w/some good coilovers and nice tires...

Grade A (if it holds together)

300ZX TT is a fine choice but it's not necessarily a handling man's car...it'll do fine w/some suspension mods...but never out do a MR2 or RX7 or even a 240SX (as I found out)...it's a bit heavy...but that can be over come w/$$$ (ie mods)...finding one in superb/good condition is a problem and a quest...

Grade A- (if in good condition)

3rd Gen Supra Turbo...they can go fast but I dont think they were ever really amazing handling cars and if I recall they are a bit hefty too...more so than the 300ZX TT...so...I particularly wouldnt choose this car...

Grade C

944 T...a friend of mine had one...and another has one now...they can go fast...but as w/Porsche's...it's not cheap...they can handle very well w/some nice tires...real sick!

Grade A-

rx7 rx7 rx7 rx7 rx7 rx7 rx7 rx7 rx7 rx7 rx7 rx7 rx7 rx7 rx7 rx7 rx7 rx7 rx7

Yes this car will be used for the winter in maine, but if it doesn't take to winter too well then I will most likely get an older Legacy or an SVX. Plus if the car has only two seats I may need more cargo space.

The car will mostly be used for commuting to work and for daily short rides around town and such. I'm not looking for extreme power, that's why some of the cars listed aren't amazingly fast. What I am looking for is excellent handling, decent ride quality, good reliability (not honda necessarily, but definitely not ferarri or gm reliability), relatively good fuel mileage (20+ city, 25+ highway after minor mods) and I want decent acceleration.

The car should have enough power to beat a z28 camaro, moded civic, american rice cars (moded cavaliers, neons and the like), and most other stock or almost stock semi-sporty cars that I will regularly see in NH/ME...which isn't a whole lot with most of these cars being fairly light and having a decent power-to-weight ratio stock.

No AutoX, street racing (stop light dragging and unplanned/informal highway racing is not what I call street racing...) or drag racing of any type with this car.

The 240sx will definitely be a KA-T or swapped for an RB25 relatively shortly after I get it...if I get one since the stock power is lacking quite a bit. The 300zx and supra are definitely not the cars I'm really looking into, but they still look quite nice, pretty cheap and can provide the performance I'm looking for. They both don't have the greatest gas mpg and they are a bit porky.

MR2 turbo and 240SX are what I'm looking at mostly...but if I get a good enough response or reason to get another choice (especially the rx7) then I will definitely consider it. Price for the RX7 and repair costs for the 944 are what keep me from seriously considering either at this point.

With any of these, I would figure in the price of a winter beater into the equasion.

I'd go with the latest gen 300ZX you can afford (through 95, the 96's have enough diffeences that it's much harder to find parts). Of the bunch, it's the most comfortable, has the most cargo room, the most power and the most tourque. It's a bit heavier than the others so the brakes aren't quite as good, and they hold together a lot better than the RX7 or MR2 engines when you start cranking up the boost. It's more refined than the 240 as well, and the Porsche has the corresponding Porsche repair costs.

kfoote has my points nailed...I would just like to add that depreciation and relatively high availability (for earlier years) make the car extremely affordable, however, they are expensive to maintain. They have a great aftermarket also, with the ability to upgrade being one of their stronger points. Drive one--I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Jon

Dude go with the RX-7. That baby has a nice ass Roatary Engine that can rev well into the 10,000RPMs

Dude go with the RX-7. That baby has a nice ass Roatary Engine that can rev well into the 10,000RPMs

Yeah, once or twice. The rotary makes a terrible daily, due to the expensive and hard to find labor/parts and its poor reliability.


Jon

An older FD (93 or 94) aren't that expensive...they are usually about 8-13k...so I figure, even if the engine dies really soon after I got it...then with a 2800 rebuilt and lightly upgraded (some site...cant remember the name rebuilds engines and adds some parts to improve reliability for about 2800...including shipping I believe)...so that engine should last me about 60k miles at the very least if I keep the hp under 300 and make sure to get a larger intercooler (vmount if I can afford it) and maybe a stand-alone fuel management system and a turbo timer...oh and a single turbo conversion most likely... and some other stuff...

I was just wondering with the new engine if there would be anything that would commonly break on it or on the car that would cost quite a bit...since 10k isn't bad for a car that nice...unless there are lots of other things that break and would make it stuck in the garage...I need this car to work 99% of the time (about 350+ days out of the year) without any hesistation or trouble.

Another concern about the RX7 is fuel economy...how bad is the car on gas stock? With a single turbo conversion? I know rotaries can be gas hogs...

The 300zx would be a decent choice...and I'm definitely checking them out...

Something else I need to know is the difference in insurance costs...I know the mr2 is probably the most expensive of the bunch since it has t-tops, mid-engine layout, turbo engine, 2 seats, etc

I would guess the 300zx (not 2+2) or Rx7 would be about tied for second...though the 300zx being a few years older would lower the price of insurance for it maybe...

The 944 would probably be the cheapest...though it does have a turbo and they still have high repair costs and higher theft rates than a 240 most likely...so the 240 and 944 may have similar insurance costs...but still substantially lower than the rest of the cars I figure...

The supra may be purchased, but it's not my first choice...

Currently this is the how they place:
1 rx7
2 240sx (zenki, 95/96)
3 mr2 (tied with 300zx)
3 300zx
4 240sx (kouki; 97/98)
5 supra
6 944

I think that the 300ZX TT is a great car and would be an excellent choice.

Have you ever checked into a VR-4? Considering the conditions you may encouter when driving it daily in Maine it may not suit you to bad. An AWD drivetrain engine sitting on a little heavier set than 'ideal' figure may make it feel very very friendly when driving in any type of condition your in. A good 300hp twin turbo car would definatly let you stay with any of these cars. And considering its ability of reaching 12-14lbs of boost with a few mods (fewer mods = less Ca$h) could make an easy choice for modification. As far as maintence cost, its probably around in the middle range of the pack considering the fact that it is turbo charged.

But its still down to your choice and preference. Just maybe consider it as another option if you hadn't already considered it. You can probably pick these up (for a good shape one) around 10-14k.

3000gt...while it may be decent, it's close to 4000 pounds and the car doesn't look all that special. I do like the older, early 90s and I admit they can be quite a sports car, especially off the line.

The main problems with them is the maintenence costs of 4wd and 4ws...and the actual cost of the car is a bit steep too...not to mention gas mpg is a bit low...so the car is a bit too expensive in nearly every way.

I just refined my list since I wasn't exactly thinking economically or rationally on my last list...

1 240sx (either front end variant)
2 300zx
3 mr2 (mid engine removes the tie with the 300zx it had...even though it supposedly can still be a decent winter vehicle)
4 rx7 (maintenence costs, gas mpg, etc)
5 supra (age, weight, poor aftermarket support)
6 944 (repair costs, age and several other factors make me not want it comparitively)

Have you ever checked into a VR-4? Considering the conditions you may encouter when driving it daily in Maine it may not suit you to bad. An AWD drivetrain engine sitting on a little heavier set than 'ideal' figure may make it feel very very friendly when driving in any type of condition your in. A good 300hp twin turbo car would definatly let you stay with any of these cars. And considering its ability of reaching 12-14lbs of boost with a few mods (fewer mods = less Ca$h) could make an easy choice for modification. As far as maintence cost, its probably around in the middle range of the pack considering the fact that it is turbo charged.

But its still down to your choice and preference. Just maybe consider it as another option if you hadn't already considered it. You can probably pick these up (for a good shape one) around 10-14k.


not to mention the handling is amazing, while other people tend to think that the awd and aws is a disadvantage its not, trust me on this one it handles wonderfully, i out ran my dads C5 vette in the idaho pass strictly cause my handling outperformed him

in other instances i would go for the r-x7 there's diff opinions in the rx-7's handling some say its great once you get used to it, and others say its not, its probably up to the driver, but i would either go rx-7 or 300zxtt!

not to mention the handling is amazing, while other people tend to think that the awd and aws is a disadvantage its not, trust me on this one it handles wonderfully, i out ran my dads C5 vette in the idaho pass strictly cause my handling outperformed him


Yeah I think the only reason people shy away from the vr4 is the weight.
Now if I were to buy the car I would choose the vr4 over the others. I mean lets be realistic, its being driven in Maine. Now what usually happens in Maine in the winter? (snow, ice, sleet, etc.) Any high horsepower rwd car will be very risky to drive in snow, or ice unless you plan on having a beater for the winter. The weight of the vr4 and the awd will only increase its drivability during those particular conditions. It would defininatly be the best 'all-around' 'all-year' car to drive. And I EXTREMELY disagree about looks of a vr4. They look more like a sports car than any of these other cars mentioned by far. (except for maybe the rx7).

If I were to choose between the others I would realistically pick the 240sx over the rest. Good choice.

Despite the lack of stock power...the 240sx is a good choice and pretty close to the cheapest choice listed (sometimes old second gen twos go for a few k less...rarely a decent turbo though).

I love the looks and I do think I'll have a winter beater. For the price of a 3000gt and the insurance increase for such a sporty car I could probably afford an SVX and 240SX and maybe even pay less for car insurance still...

you gotta point :iceslolan

Still awd all the time seems nice...I just dunno if I can afford it :P

I bet I'll do fine in the winter with a 240sx maybe...I see so many mustangs, camaros, (old) monte carlos, etc cars that are rwd and are driven in the winter a lot with little problem. They do have a lot more chance for skid, but unless it's icy or I forget I'm driving a rwd I should be alright.

Still want that RX7 though lol...I keep trying to find a way to justify the added initial cost and increased insurance.

Yeah the 240sx will do alright in the winter. Just get some all purpose weather tires for the winter and keep a good set for the good times. I do understand that a vr4 will have a higher cost to run than probably a 240 and a beater combined. It all comes down to how much you wanna put down. The 240 is would still be my next pick, it is a good choice. You won't be disappointed.

Justification, ha, it should be enough that you only live once, and its something that you really want, and can have.
Besides, if you dont get it, you will always have regret that you didnt.
After seeing my grandpa save all his life, he ended up with a lot of money when he was too old to fully enjoy it, he regrets not spending more in his youth.

So, Id say go for what you actually want, as long as it wont require remortgaging your house ;)
And besides, arent SVX's cheap? Pretty good car to, with AWD and 230hp.
I might be more inclined to get an SVX than a 240 in the first place, even.

Justification, ha, it should be enough that you only live once, and its something that you really want, and can have.
Besides, if you dont get it, you will always have regret that you didnt.
After seeing my grandpa save all his life, he ended up with a lot of money when he was too old to fully enjoy it, he regrets not spending more in his youth.


I like the way you think :thumbsup:

Justification, ha, it should be enough that you only live once, and its something that you really want, and can have.
Besides, if you dont get it, you will always have regret that you didnt.
After seeing my grandpa save all his life, he ended up with a lot of money when he was too old to fully enjoy it, he regrets not spending more in his youth.

So, Id say go for what you actually want, as long as it wont require remortgaging your house ;)
And besides, arent SVX's cheap? Pretty good car to, with AWD and 230hp.
I might be more inclined to get an SVX than a 240 in the first place, even.

SVX is auto-only though :(...so I might be able to handle that for a few months, but not a whole year lol. They are very amazing cars though despite what people say about their poor reliability. I could get it converted to manual but that's a couple grand unless I did it myself...and from what I understand it's not exactly straight forward.

As far as the VR4 goes, both the 3000T and the Stealth are so cheap they are difficult to ignore. I saw an early ninties Stealth RT Turbo AWD in the paper recently that supposedly ran well but the tranny had been grenaded. 1500 dollars was the asking price.

No, I do not know much about this car. But find a running last gen 300ZX TT or Supra TT that runs at all with a blown tranny for 1500 bucks. If you are going to tear into the car immediately the tranny trouble I not so big a deal either.

I prefer the last gen 300ZX over the Stealth RT for sure as well as several other cars. But, the Stealth and 3000 did look very good IMO, especially in earlier years, and the pricing is just so hard to ignore. I have thought about buying one of these cars on more than one occasion just because you can get into one so cheaply.

RX-7 all the way even though I love the 300 zx the rx 7 is lighter higher reving but if you can configure the engine and find out how it works You will probly get a job @ any mazda dealership. There is said to be 1 mech if that at a dealership (long Island anyway)who can work on a roarty you will be a specialist :naughty:

klohiq (http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/member.php?u=78872) ~ that quote on ur sig about skylines makes me sick. 2f2f ehh....

If you want a nice winter car and you're not going to be doing much racing, look into a 97-91 Subaru Impreza 2.5 RS.

Yes but then you cant do stupid stuff though get a pos 85 bronco lift kit and OR tires and have some fun.:evillol:

If you want a nice winter car and you're not going to be doing much racing, look into a 97-91 Subaru Impreza 2.5 RS.

Good luck finding one and then paying a bundle for it. It's a rare car even in Los Angeles. Around $8k to $11k for a decent 2.5RS, if you can find one for sale.

The S14 240SX seems to be the best choice because there are just more 240SXs on the market to choose from compared to the other cars on the list. Expect to spend about $7k to $8k for a decent condition 240SX with less than 80k miles on the odometer.

The R.S is soo common over here in the east coast I guess cause we have more snow.

RX-7 good to about 500HP and cant be madet ohandle quite well...but the complexity of sequincial turbos is hard to work on for even intermediate to advanced gear heads

The rx 7 can handle around 800 not 500 its a rotarty and rotartys react better to turbo's then a normal V config.

I don't think you're gonna run 800 remotely reliable hp without a 3-rotor.

Gotta like the 240's

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