Which is the best low cost tuner car?

My dad and I are looking to tune up a car for myself. We are looking for a low cost car that has a nice engine and is reliable. We were looking at these cars:

Ford Mustang 2000+
Dodge Stealth 91' w/ turbo
Eagle Talon
Acura RSX type s
Nissan 300zx
Nissan 240sx 93'

well if you want realibity then take away all but 240sx and the rsx. take away the mustang cause the v6 ones suck. the 240sx is mostly only good if you do the sr20 swap. i would say the 240sx just because rsx are new so they car more expense for the vechile which in this case is bad

well if you want realibity then take away all but 240sx and the rsx. take away the mustang cause the v6 ones suck. the 240sx is mostly only good if you do the sr20 swap. i would say the 240sx just because rsx are new so they car more expense for the vechile which in this case is bad

822 posts and still you make this uneducated opinion about the 240sx...wtf???

Only good if you swap in an sr20? Ever been to ka-t.org? The ka24de which is the stock 240sx engine has managed a 9 second 1/4mile. It has almost half a liter more displacement than an sr20 and it has an ever growing aftermarket.

The sr20 also isn't the only swap you can put in a 240sx...among others you can swap in a CA18DET from an early silvia/180sx, RB20DET/RB25DET from a skyline, RB26DETT from a skyline GTR, VG30DETT from a 300zx twin turbo, and many other amazing engines.

The sr20 swap is a pretty moronic swap if you ask me. A stock KA24DE without a turbo makes 133rwhp while a stock SR20DET makes about 166whp...a whopping 33whp and you pay what? $2000 for the clip and maybe another $1000 to have it installed?? that's about 100 dollars per whp...about the same ratio as installing bolt-ons on the KA24...

For $3000 you could rebuild the stock 240sx engine, add a small/medium turbo and supporting stuff, and probably lay down at least 200whp if not closer to 250-300whp. It's moronic how many people think the ka24 is junk while the sr20 is amazing...sure it's a good engine, but the ka24 is definitely something you should consider since it's already in the car to start with so anything you do to it is cheaper.

SORRY about that last post being OT, now back to what this thread is really about...

You don't really mention what this car will be used for. The cars are also very different, ranging from a large GT car to a small sport compact.

From just the cars you mentioned I would say an RSX is a great car and for a daily driven car it has the best fuel economy, it's the newest so it should be the most reliable, it's a honda so it should be really reliable, and it handles amazing for a fwd.

Stealths and 3000gts have quite a few problems, but they can be made into amazing cars. Also some owners haven't had a lot of problems with them so maybe you will get lucky.

The Eagle Talon/Mitsubishi Eclipse/Plymouth Laser have much the same problems as 3000gts, reliability can be a big problem. A lot of people love those cars though, so there must be something special about them.

I love how the 300zx looks, but the 300zx twinturbo has it's share of reliability issues. They can be expensive to maintain since they are complex and the engine bay is very tight, but they are good cars. Nearly every non-turbo owner I've heard from has loved the car, twin-turbo owners are divided with some loving it and some hating it so much they eventually get rid of it due to maintenance and reliability issues.

The Nissan 240sx is a very good car too. I'm a Nissan guy and definitely love the 240sx...the ka24de engine is a little low on horsepower, but it has potential. The body style you are considering was made from 91-93, not just 93.

I don't really like the mustang, but it is a decent car too. They are really common and parts are pretty easy to come by for the v8...

With most newer cars you can't really go wrong, there isn't a huge difference in reliability or options like there used to be. Find a car you like the looks of, research the problems and weak spots, figure out your budget, and then make an informed purchase.

EDIT: you listed non-gt so definitely don't pick the mustang, the rsx or any honda/integra sport compact will most likely have above average insurance, so I would say no to the RSX...hmmmm I say go for a toyota matrix xrs or sentra spec v, both have 4 doors so they are cheap on insurance, but they are still quite fast

The Eagle Talon/Mitsubishi Eclipse/Plymouth Laser have much the same problems as 3000gts, reliability can be a big problem. A lot of people love those cars though, so there must be something special about them.

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There is...bang for the buck! If you get a TSi AWD you can be into the 11's for about 2-3 grand without touching any internals. Plus they're a lot of fun. As far as reliability...it's kind of hit and miss. My old GSX left me stranded once (alternator) but other than that if I needed it to get me somewhere it did. But you've gotta have TINY hands to work on these cars...or a hell of a lot of time.

definetly the 300zx is the best. You can tune it out to be the fastest. Out of your choices, it is the 2nd best looking one, under the rsx. And you can pick one up for pretty cheap too.

definetly the 300zx is the best. You can tune it out to be the fastest. Out of your choices, it is the 2nd best looking one, under the rsx. And you can pick one up for pretty cheap too.

If he and his dad are going to be working on the car a 6 cylinder turbo car is not the way to go. Those things are sooooo hard to work on from what I've seen...plus parts are very expensive compared to others on the list.

If he and his dad are going to be working on the car a 6 cylinder turbo car is not the way to go. Those things are sooooo hard to work on from what I've seen...plus parts are very expensive compared to others on the list. i dont think so because i worked on my sons wrx with him and he had a garrett g35r turbo and we installed everything. It wasnt so hard, so i am still going with the 300zx.

IMO go with the 240SX the 97-98 "shark-eye" headlights look sick. Plus the KA engine is an awsome engine, but if you have the $$$ i'll do a RB26DETT swap. It's a complicated swap but it's worth it.
Or id go with the 95-99 eclipse. The 4G63 engine is 20 years in the making and there are an plethora of aftermarket prouducts. It's probably next to the Civic in aftermarket support.
It's a little pricey but you could get an Evo 8. That's what I'm getting when I get to my permanent duty station in Pencecola(sp?) FL. It also has the 4G63 like the 2G eclipse.
It's up to you though take your time and make sure you get the car you want.

i dont think so because i worked on my sons wrx with him and he had a garrett g35r turbo and we installed everything. It wasnt so hard, so i am still going with the 300zx.

The WRX is 4 cylinder...cram a V-6 in there then try and work on it.

The WRX is 4 cylinder...cram a V-6 in there then try and work on it. how does that work, you would have to get a hood extension if you try to put a v-6 in the sti

how does that work, you would have to get a hood extension if you try to put a v-6 in the sti
I think his point is setting up a turbo on an STi is much different and easier than a turbo/twin turbo setup on a V6.

I think his point is setting up a turbo on an STi is much different and easier than a turbo/twin turbo setup on a V6.

Thank you. When you work on a V-6 TT car you've got a hell of a lot of intercooler piping going everywhich way, oil lines to both turbos, and it's all crammed into a very small space.