$10k for the fastest reliable car?

[Hategoingslow]

hey i've seen alot of post similiar to this but not in the price range yet.
I currently have a 1990 gti with a motor swap and $1000 of motor bolt ons and im bored of it now, while building that car i got a 1991 rx7 n/a and its fun due to rwd but im bored of its performance too haha.
requirements
cost : 10k + or - 2k
Weight: As little as possible
Drivetrain: awd or rwd
Afforadable parts, Decent gas milage, high tunability

cars of thought of
rx7 FD
300zx TT (kinda heavy)
corvette c4
impreza RS
240sx s13 S14
................
Uses: daily drive!, auto-x, track days

thanks in advance i generally post in maker specific forums but that gets me one answer normally

[kman10587]

'90-'97 Miata, without a doubt. It's lighter and gets better gas mileage than anything else on that list, parts are very cheap and abundant, and both the engine and suspension are highly responsive to tuning. It's the premier choice for a cheap, reliable autocross car. The main drawbacks are that storage space is next to nothing, and you have to deal with dumbasses who insist that it's a woman's car - other than that, you'd like it a lot, I bet.

[Hategoingslow]

cool thanks, anybody else have suggestions.. i kind of need some storage space and i want a car with alot of horsepower w/o having to add forced induction for emissions reasons and reliability.

[NISSANSPDR]

I'd say then a Camaro Z28 would probably be the most HP and potential (responds well to mods) and cheapest and fairly reliable

[kman10587]

Yeah, if you want more space and power, an LT1-powered Camaro Z28 ('93-'97) would be a good choice. They are very fast, more reliable than you would think, and quite tunable.

[Hategoingslow]

ya thought about them too but they dont handel very well do they? i was considering possibly a C4 corvette too better handeling right?

[Hategoingslow]

also both are heavy, thinking something like a rx7 93+ its got hp and its light anything else like that? i was also highly considering 300zx but 3500lbs seems rather heavy to me.

[drdisque]

the camaro handles alot better than people expect it to, especially when you put good tires on it or modify the suspension to reduce body roll. The C4 handles better, but is obviously more expensive to insure and has a more complex ignition system.

[SuperHighOutput]

If reliability is a big factor forget the FD RX-7. The Corvette and 300ZX are going to be the fastest and best handling, as well as the most expensive to buy and maintain. Miatas are excellent cars, they are very fun to drive and handle extremely well, however if stratight line acceleration is key, it's not the car for you. The Camaro is an excellent choice, fast, cheap to buy, and fairly cheap to maintain. They also handle much better than most expect them to, however they aren't going to get great gas milage. So, in the end I leave you with my suggestion, an E36 BMW coupe, something like a 328iS would be perfect for your desires.

[kman10587]

The Camaro Z28 handles MUCH better than the ricer community would have you believe. The suspension may not be as fancy or high-tech as those on Japanese sports cars such as the 300ZX and RX-7, but it works very well, and it'll prove it at any autocross event or track day. Its reliability and gas mileage aren't as bad as they claim, either. A lot of the reported problems (and most of the ones I've seen) are of things like power windows, oil and water pumps, and the like going out. The basic components of the car, the engine, transmission, and suspension, are durable as all hell, and really well put-together. As for the gas mileage, I believe the EPA rating is 18 city/27 highway for the LT1 Camaro; not as good as you'd get from a small car with a four-cylinder engine, but impressive given the vehicle's size and 275 ponies.

[k3smostwanted]

Originally Posted by Hategoingslow

also both are heavy, thinking something like a rx7 93+ its got hp and its light anything else like that? i was also highly considering 300zx but 3500lbs seems rather heavy to me.

the 300zxTT weighs in at 3,414lbs.
http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/sp...IP&tab=2&sub=4

Z28 Camaro Coupe Manual = 3,442lbs
http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/sp...IP&tab=2&sub=4

Corvette C4 manual = 3,261lbs
http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/sp...IP&tab=2&sub=4

FD3S manual= 2,858lbs
http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/sp...IP&tab=2&sub=4


if you can find an FD3S for $10k...first email me and tell me so i can buy it. second, good luck because it will prbably need $8k worth of work. atleast in my area...this car runs $15-$20k. but it would undoubtedly be your best bet for a track car.

[nastyNater]

get a hatch and get a JDM engine swap. youll still have $$$$ left over to mod with. And that thing will rape a stock z28 in the a-hole.

[Twyzz]

Buy a MR2 turbo.

[kman10587]

The MR2 Turbo doesn't offer much more space than the Miata, but it's got plenty of power, great handling, solid reliability. That could work if you can push the car without wrecking it.

[Hategoingslow]

cool thanks, keep the advice comming. on the rx7 front i was thinking maybe just build a TII instead of a FD cuz they are really expensive haha i've been looking trying to find one with a blown motor..