the perfect builder car

i know this probibly isnt the place to put this thread, but in essence its comparing certain vehicles.... mostly on performance and the aftermarket.

what im looking for is a builder car (ie civic, 5.0 or 4.6 mustang, cavilier,f body vehicles< basically cars that are a dime a dozen when it comes to parts). now to me this should be split into 2 major categories: sport compact (that includes import like japan, germany, euro), or modern muscle (again includes import like the m3, m5 rx7's)

i have an open mind to this, so what im looking for is a car, how you think the after market is on it, and what you personally think of the car. basically like saying (for instance) the chevy s-10, there is a massive aftermarket on it, you can drop v8's in, jack it up, slam it down, and they are cheap.
or
the civic(crx, or delsol), massive aftermarket parts, high power to weight possibilities when done right, parts are cheap, overall decent cars.

stuff like that if you dont get it lemme know ill see if i can break it down better.

I've always been one to like something a little bit different. I like the idea of taking an LT1 Caprice and hot rodding it. It won't handle very well, but a big old sled that's a rocket in straight line will turn a few heads, make a pretty good sleeper, and seperate you from the crowd.

I've always been one to like something a little bit different. I like the idea of taking an LT1 Caprice and hot rodding it. It won't handle very well, but a big old sled that's a rocket in straight line will turn a few heads, make a pretty good sleeper, and seperate you from the crowd.

:1: I've thought about doing that with one of the wagons...but I can't seem to find one with decent miles. I also like the 5.0 Fox Body Mustangs they have a lot of potential.

5.0 Fox is my opinion,

For the money, a 240sx provides a nice blend of power potential (with a turbo engine swap), handling, and a decent interior.

A fox body Stang' gives you an awesome engine platform, looks good (in my eyes, anyway), and contrary to popular belief, can actually be made to handle decently. I absolutely HATE the interior of the car, though. I'd have to yank out those seats, the plastic shifter, and the door mounted map nets borrowed from grandpa's Crown Vic.

My choice? I like things that are a little more unusual. The Caprice wagon would be cool, but is still kind of common. No, I would try to hunt down a well kempt GMC Syclone, or maybe a Typhoon. You could build the 4.3 liter motor pretty easily- and it’s already plumbed for a turbo. I'd paint the grey plastic ground effects to match the body, throw in a set of black sued Recaros, and remove all of the Syclone badges. An added bonus is that the truck is rare and old enough that all the thuggy Honda people have no idea what it is. I can't help but look at a Syclone as a sort of good ol' boys Lancer Evo with a pickup bed on the back.

The downside? Decent examples are still going for $10,000, they were automatic only, and I'm not sure how reliable it would be. Still, it would be tons of fun, and all wheel drive means you could drive it in the winter, too.

im thinking a second gen Ford Taurus SHO. its not an uncommon car but i never really see to many of them. the V8 is tiny, but its still a V8 in a damn Taurus! im not sure how well supported they are by the aftermarket but i've seen some decent examples on cardomain.com.

i have a few off the top of my head. tell me what you think. i split it up into compact and muscle (because some people think "why buy low pony power, to build to what you can get for a little more cash?") but im in the budget build state of mind.

Muscle:
Firebird (ta, or formula) lt1 or ls1 (im a fan)
camaro ls1
5.0 or 4.6 mustang fox body or late model <both are pretty cheap (or getting there)
s-10 or syclone
t-bird/cougar
rear drive montecarlo
olds/ buick (like grand national, cutlass)
grand prix ( 3.8 what can i say)

compact:
civic, cavilier, neon, Gen 1 DSM (thats like the talon tsi awd), probe, miata, cougar, zx2/escort, avenger, 3000gt, 240sx (also z cars), smaller motor s-10,

im not a big fan of trucks, even though alot of them make lots of power, im more city. and i dont have a use for a truckbed.

How about an RX-7 with a V8 swap? You get the best of both worlds, combining low weight and good handling with easy power gains and a simple engine.

They can be relatively cheap too, depending on how you do things. You could probably have a running 2nd gen(aka FC3S) RX-7 with an LT1 V8 for $4k or so.

The best luck you're going to get is with a 5.0 or 93-02 Camaro/Firebird.

You'll get more with the Camaro/Firebird but the 5.0 is cheaper.

You can get more if the firebird has a 350, problem is that most of the 3rd gens have 305's which really won't compete with the mustangs 302 for power.

what about the ls1's i know they are still up there in price right now but i hear those are good builders, and stock. ive been hanging around in that forum for a while to pick up on some of the things.

what about the ls1's i know they are still up there in price right now but i hear those are good builders, and stock. ive been hanging around in that forum for a while to pick up on some of the things.

The cheapest I've seen LS-1s are the 98 and 99 Z28s at around $8,000. They are pretty quick though out of the box and you put a little money into them and you'll have a mean street machine.

im thinking a second gen Ford Taurus SHO. its not an uncommon car but i never really see to many of them. the V8 is tiny, but its still a V8 in a damn Taurus! im not sure how well supported they are by the aftermarket but i've seen some decent examples on cardomain.com.the v8 taurus is junk and the motors to heavy, plus it has cam problems.. get a first gen v6, not only arwe they more reliable but they are faster too.

if ur looking for just engine and car, get the 5.0. cheap as hell, easy to mod, huge aftermarket. but you would have to put up with ugly exterior, cheap interior, andmediocre handling.

civics are a good choice too cause they are cheap, light, and have a large aftermarket. the downside is its still a civic.

another good choice is a 90-99 celica swapping in a 3rd gen 3sgte with 260hp and mod it for plenty of easy power. the cars are very reliable, handle decently, and look pretty good imo.