Need Help: Narrowed It Down To 5...

[kman10587]

Originally Posted by k3smostwanted

whats all this talk about the 240sx??? seriously, its nothing special until you turbo the KA or drop in a JDM motor...and your talking money in alot of peoples cases. otherwise the car is just an average sporty economy car. not much to talk about in my opinion...

You answered your own question right there. He's not looking for a super-performance car, he's looking for a sporty car that is cheap to buy, and more importantly, cheap to own. You can't possibly tell me that a used turbo car from the 80's is going to be cheap to own.

On a side note, I've noticed that a few people on these forums, you and NISSANSPDR among them, tend to go straight to performance when comparing cars. Though that may be your highest priority, keep in mind that there are other things that people look for in a car. Everything has its price: if you want turbo performance and Z exclusivity, you're just going to have to pay for it, and with only five grand to spend, I don't think a Z31 Turbo is a wise investment.

Obviously, there are a lot of cars that you could consider buying. If you want rear-wheel-drive, the 240SX is probably your best bet, although there is also the Miata, if that's more to your liking. If you can forego rear-wheel-drive, then many more options open up. The Civic Del Sol is one of them; the 200SX SE-R and third generation Integra are others. That's not to mention the Prelude Si VTEC, Celica GT, Cavalier Z24, and Neon R/T. My point is that, if you're looking for a sporty yet economical car, well, there are a ton of them out there, and you're just going to have to find one that, at the end of the day, you will be happy to own. However, turbocharged cars from the 80's, and turbocharged cars in general, are something I would definitely stay away from. I wouldn't dare buy a used turbo car with only five grand to spend, because unless you are sure that the previous owner kept the car in pristine condition, you will have to spend money down the road to fix the car. Cars like the CRX and 240SX are popular choices in this segment, and for a good reason: they offer the most performance and best reliability for the least money. But whatever you do, before you buy a car, make sure of two things: you're not going to get sick of it anytime soon, and it's not going to end up costing more money than you have.

[YodaGeek]

Quick question, I'm assuming RWD is better than FWD. Am I correct in assuming this? Thank.

[illegal_eagle187]

thats a personal opinion question, i personally prefer rwd, but fwd can be fun

[kman10587]

The FWD vs. RWD debate is long and complex, and I'm not gonna re-type it all here. In short, in mostly comes down to personal preference, as both have proven that they can be competitively fast.

[siege911]

Yeah, they both have their strengths and weaknesses... FWD cars are much better in the snow than RWD cars, which is a plus, and generally, they're easier to handle (although of course it depends on the car).

[GamerFreak]

Well, thanks YodaGeek, I was just going to ask that. Anyways, now I really don't know what to get because that's one of the reasons I ruled the Del Sol out, I thought that RWD is better. So now I guess it's back to 4:

- Honda Del Sol
- Honda CRX
- Nissan 240SX
- Nissan Z31T

I think I'm actually going to not get the Z31T though after reading KMan's response because using common sense it does make sense. Obviously an older sports car is going to require more work and care. So it's probably back to 3, and I still can't decide!

Edit: I was just re-reading this thread and I saw KMan's post a couple posts back and he was listing a bunch of good FWD cars so now I'm really unsure of what to get. Oh yeah, I'm not going to be driving in snow since I live in California, don't know if that really makes a difference or not.

[k3smostwanted]

Originally Posted by kman10587

You answered your own question right there. He's not looking for a super-performance car, he's looking for a sporty car that is cheap to buy, and more importantly, cheap to own. You can't possibly tell me that a used turbo car from the 80's is going to be cheap to own.

On a side note, I've noticed that a few people on these forums, you and NISSANSPDR among them, tend to go straight to performance when comparing cars. Though that may be your highest priority, keep in mind that there are other things that people look for in a car. Everything has its price: if you want turbo performance and Z exclusivity, you're just going to have to pay for it, and with only five grand to spend, I don't think a Z31 Turbo is a wise investment.

Obviously, there are a lot of cars that you could consider buying. If you want rear-wheel-drive, the 240SX is probably your best bet, although there is also the Miata, if that's more to your liking. If you can forego rear-wheel-drive, then many more options open up. The Civic Del Sol is one of them; the 200SX SE-R and third generation Integra are others. That's not to mention the Prelude Si VTEC, Celica GT, Cavalier Z24, and Neon R/T. My point is that, if you're looking for a sporty yet economical car, well, there are a ton of them out there, and you're just going to have to find one that, at the end of the day, you will be happy to own. However, turbocharged cars from the 80's, and turbocharged cars in general, are something I would definitely stay away from. I wouldn't dare buy a used turbo car with only five grand to spend, because unless you are sure that the previous owner kept the car in pristine condition, you will have to spend money down the road to fix the car. Cars like the CRX and 240SX are popular choices in this segment, and for a good reason: they offer the most performance and best reliability for the least money. But whatever you do, before you buy a car, make sure of two things: you're not going to get sick of it anytime soon, and it's not going to end up costing more money than you have.

well i didnt fully explain my thought process, the Z31 is actually going to be about the same reliability as a 240sx...expecially when you start romping on the 240sx. i have a Z31 with a 170k miles on it, runs like new...starts eveytime. sat for 2 years, i put a new battery and fuel pump in it, started right up...though i dont have a good story, do some searching...go to Z31.com

the Z31T can last 300k miles plus with ease...it is the most reliable Z car ever built. and i would say that it is quite a bit more reliable than a 240sx from other peoples thoughts and posts.

i jump straight to performance alot of times because the cars are evenly matched otherwise. if your looking at an older car they are all gonna have reliablity issues. the hondas on this list are the most reliable, i will agree...but im sure if you took away all the performance of a Z31T, im sure it would be just as reliable. you cant really say soemthing is more reliable than something else, if your talking 2 different caliburs of cars. the Z31 holds its own against honda in the reliabilty department if well taken care of, and that shows alot of the cars build quality.

if i remember correctly, he wanted to stay under $5k...hell for $5k he can ahve a low mileage Shiro Edition Z31T w/ leather seats, low miles, and a few mods to put it down in the low 14 range.

if your looking for an older car with rarity, style, performance...id go with the Z31T. if your looking for a car with no performance in mind to get you to and from work get a the honda or the 240sx.

this shouldnt even be a fair comparo, but people are ignorant to the peformance and character of the Z31.

as for the FWD vs. RWD...if your into any kind of racing, RWD is almost always better. unless you are comparing a RSX type S to an old pick-up truck...this is why, when companies start building sportier cars they almost always make them RWD or AWD. its just better for performance...

[kman10587]

well i didnt fully explain my thought process, the Z31 is actually going to be about the same reliability as a 240sx...expecially when you start romping on the 240sx. i have a Z31 with a 170k miles on it, runs like new...starts eveytime. sat for 2 years, i put a new battery and fuel pump in it, started right up...though i dont have a good story, do some searching...go to Z31.com

I don't doubt that a Z31T can last 300K miles, but with ease? I'm not so sure. It's not easy to keep a turbo engine that old in good shape, no matter how well it's built. And like I said, the majority of people who buy turbo cars don't really know how to properly take care of a turbo engine. As for the 240SX, they can take a HUGE beating. I've seen people who completely abuse the car - doing neutral drops, drifting constantly, and flooring it nonstop - and it still runs fine. One of my dumbass friends who has one didn't change his oil for 22,000 miles (and the car already had 116,000 on it), and it still runs well. You can't abuse an old turbo car that badly and expect the drivetrain to hold up at all, no matter how reliable it is.

[kman10587]

as for the FWD vs. RWD...if your into any kind of racing, RWD is almost always better. unless you are comparing a RSX type S to an old pick-up truck...this is why, when companies start building sportier cars they almost always make them RWD or AWD. its just better for performance...

They both have their place. On small sport coupes with less than 200 horsepower (i.e. Peugeot 205, Integra Type R, Celica GT-S), I firmly believe that FWD is better for performance.

[mrgofast21018]

imagine how much better the integra type r would be if it was rear wheel drive.

[kman10587]

I don't think it'd be any better at all. If you do, please explain why. It's not like the Integra Type R has any real understeer issues, and it carries more speed through turns than similar RWD cars because its driven wheels have more traction, so I don't see how RWD would be better for it.

[Jimster]

Originally Posted by mrgofast21018

imagine how much better the integra type r would be if it was rear wheel drive.

It'd be slower and it'd handle worse.

[k3smostwanted]

Originally Posted by kman10587

I don't doubt that a Z31T can last 300K miles, but with ease? I'm not so sure. It's not easy to keep a turbo engine that old in good shape, no matter how well it's built. And like I said, the majority of people who buy turbo cars don't really know how to properly take care of a turbo engine. As for the 240SX, they can take a HUGE beating. I've seen people who completely abuse the car - doing neutral drops, drifting constantly, and flooring it nonstop - and it still runs fine. One of my dumbass friends who has one didn't change his oil for 22,000 miles (and the car already had 116,000 on it), and it still runs well. You can't abuse an old turbo car that badly and expect the drivetrain to hold up at all, no matter how reliable it is.

actually, i would put money on the Z31T to last longer than the 240sx under extreme conditions...and they do last 300k miles with ease. im telling you, for some reason these motors and car last a very long time in good condition. you cant put all old turbo cars in the same category because they are all different. yes, i wouldnt expect a turbo DSM to last 300k miles but i do expect a Z31T to last that long. if i were to keep my Z31, i would EXPECT it to last 300k miles atleast. even if it were turbocharged...if you did some research on the car i think you would be a firm beliver too, instead of just saying because its turbocharged means it cant last long. so not true...

and in a general position RWD is better then FWD...yes an integra type R is a good handling fast car stock. but when you start getting into some serious performance numbers that FWD just isnt gonna cut it. there will always be exceptions but from a general position RWD is better than FWD for performance. once again, this is why car manufactures choose to make their most of their Performance cars RWD.

integra type R, civic, RSX, etc - FWD
NSX - RWD

Sentra spec V - FWD
350z - RWD

eclipse - FWD
EVO - AWD

focus - FWD
mustang/GT - RWD

cobalt - FWD
corvette - RWD

i think i am starting to see a pattern...

[TatII]

Originally Posted by Jimster

It'd be slower and it'd handle worse.

for what its worth, when hot version was doing the touge battle. they had tuner shops bring in their shop cars to race on the mountain. keichi tsuchiya was praising how well balanced this DC2 type R was and it was an actual track car with no interior. they put that car against a mildly tuned S14 K with a full interior, and bolt ons, and suspension tweeks of course. tsuchiya was sure he was goin to win in the type R, but when the S14 was tailgating the type R and the more tsuchiya tried to push the type R harder, and harder, it started plowing harder and harder, and the S14 took it both on the uphill and the downhill with ease ( from cornering, not straightline )

please don't say tsuchiya can't drive becasue hes been racing for decades and has broken time attack records in japan and raced in the 24 hour leman and was leading his class, and raced JGTC500 and raced the toyota spec AE86 races and such. hes a.k.a the drift king.

[GamerFreak]

Wow! Thanks for all of the replies now. I'm still really confused but surprisingly, the Fox Body Mustang looks is kind of growing on me, so it is becoming an option for me. The main thing I have against it is it's handling. I would like to know what it can and can't do? How well can it handle before it's too much? Can it take minor turns at decent speeds or is it meant for PURELY straight lines? Thanks.