Maybe I am in need of a change?!?!?

[k3smostwanted]

well guys, as some of you may know i own a Nissan 300zxTT and a Grand Prix GTP Supercharged. now, getting rid of the 300zx is out of the question so dont even mention it but i have been getting the feeling of needing a change because i do not think i am all that happy with the GTP. so im here for some opinions...keep in mind, i still owe alot of money on the GTP but i should be in the position by february to come out even. tax returns!

1. probably be the most practical but practicality hasnt always been my strong point. so...keep the GTP, suck it up, maybe modify it a little to subside my eagerness to change, and get the 300zx running and ready for spring. maybe i am just having withdrawls from my 300zx not running in the past year and once i get it back i will be satisfied with the GTP because i only have to drive it a few months or on rare occasion throughout the year???
pros: already own it, it has been very good to me so far, quick enough for the average ricer, under warantee, can take tax check and blow it on the Z, 2-door but big enough to fit the occasional 3rd, 4th, and 5th passengers
cons: gas mileage isnt as good compared to other cars with similar performance, it has no ability to hold its value, boring and too common

2. relax on modifying the 300zx beings i will have it for a long time to come probably. go out and buy a used Audi S4 (~2001). can pick up a very good condition one for under $20k.
pros: holds its value better than the pontiac, quicker, AWD for winter and different types of racing that the Z isnt very good at, ladies love german cars, luxury
cons: more than likely will take alot of money away from Z mod money, 4 doors (might be good a couple years down the road but as of right now, i dont think i like that), insurance will rise significantly, can i resist modifying this?

3. come out even on the GTP by selling it and picking up something with style and performance. 3000GT VR4 anyone???
pros: always liked the stlying of the 91-93 models, great performance, can pick one up in decent condition for less than $7k in my area, AWD so winters shouldnt all that bad, would not take money away from the 300zx if i could resist modifying it, wouldnt get tired of it like i do the GTP
cons: gas mileage for a DD, reliability isnt exactly ideal for a backup car, could i resist modifying?

4. selling the GTP and picking up something i might like better but would keep the same payments as the GTP, so a car that would cost around $10k. opinions?



Keep in mind my goal for the long distance is to own an E46 M3 and my 300zxTT. so...going to option number 3 would allow me to reach this goal much quicker. sticking with option number 1 and 4 would get me there but it would be a while.
going to option number 2 would be the most impractical thing i could possibly do right now though i could more than afford it, i dont want too i dont think. but the impracticality is one thing that attracts me so much...plus its an S4, come on! if you guys have any other ideas for $20k that sounds like my style shout em out. forewarning: no EVO's, mustangs, camaros, SRT-4s, etc.

*i tried to make it a little longer, it keeps the newbies from posting random thoughts that do not make sense. for some reason they do not like to read long posts

[Yaggus]

Well if I were you I would sell the GTP and get the VR4

I bet you didnt see that coming

My reasoning:
1) The vr4 looks so much better than the GTP.

2) I love AWD. And it would be a lot more practical in the snow.

3) VR4 is pretty damm easy to get some quick, cheap power out of if the modding bug bites you. This way it wont eat up into your 300zx fund but you can still extract some extra hp to satisfy your craving.

4) The reliability is fine as long as you dont beat the piss out of it or heavily modify it.

5) gus guzzler, eh you cant win them all. Obscenely long pitched gears will help in this regard (assuming they have the same gears as a GTO) Just make sure its tuned right.

6) The vr4 is similar enough to a 300zx to not upset your natural car balance too much both 3L V6 twin turbo early 90s Japanese sports cars.

[clawhammer]

How about selling the GTP, buy a POS beater car aka civic which will get 40 mpg, put the monthly payments aside for a downpayment on a M3, and finish up the 300ZX asap.

[probehtr300]

im tellin ya jason, sell the GTP and buy a nice condition SAAB 95 or similar. Their awesome cars, relatively cheap, incredibly reliable unlike the vr-4 and still moderately quick for what they are, with decent gas mileage too. Plus much sexier than a gtp and women love saabs man.

[DinanM3_S2]

K3s wants an M3!

Welcome to the dark side

My advice is to avoid the Audi B5 S4. In the hands of a tuner, they are hard not to mess with. They are also known to be pretty damn unreliable cars. I know guys that complain about having to replace turbos every 40-50,000 miles on those things. Other little things go wrong on them all the time. They also don't have very good resale value, so no matter what you will be losing a fair amount of money on one.

If I were in your shoes and didn't mind driving a RWD car in the winter, I would go ahead and get a nice, 95-97 BMW E36 325i. They are far more reliable then any Audi would be, and hold their value better as well. It isn't turbo, so it would be easier to resist modding it, and it also gets you introduced to BMWs and how they work. I think the E36 3-series would be a great introduction to an eventual M3.

[Dave1669]

How about an E36 M3? If your goal is to get an E46 M3, and you are thinking about the B5 S4, you could get the previous generation. I am pretty sure you can get the older M3 for a lot cheaper than a B5 S4 (they came out 5 or so years earlier after all). Or, like Dinan said, get an E36 325 and save even more money. Don't get me wrong, I love the S4, but I think the E36 325 or M3 would be much more car for the money.

[kman10587]

Sell both your 300ZX and the GTP, and buy a nice E46 M3. Buy another 300ZX when you have the money to do so.

[DeleriousZ]

sell the gtp and get that porsche 944 you were looking at... or an fc3s... you know you waaaaannnnna... lol

[TatII]

i agree with teh civic part. just buy a civic to drive around so you can get your E46 and mod your Z much faster.

[SuperHighOutput]

Originally Posted by TatII

i agree with teh civic part. just buy a civic to drive around so you can get your E46 and mod your Z much faster.

Yep I also have to agree, I think that ultimately this will be the way to go and make you happier in the long run.

[k3smostwanted]

Originally Posted by clawhammer

How about selling the GTP, buy a POS beater car aka civic which will get 40 mpg, put the monthly payments aside for a downpayment on a M3, and finish up the 300ZX asap.

thought about picking up a beater but that isnt my style either. if anything i would spend $5k and get something decent. i can wait on the M3 until i get done with college.

Originally Posted by probehtr300

im tellin ya jason, sell the GTP and buy a nice condition SAAB 95 or similar. Their awesome cars, relatively cheap, incredibly reliable unlike the vr-4 and still moderately quick for what they are, with decent gas mileage too. Plus much sexier than a gtp and women love saabs man.

old saabs...nah. new saabs, ehh...

Originally Posted by DinanM3_S2

K3s wants an M3!

Welcome to the dark side

My advice is to avoid the Audi B5 S4. In the hands of a tuner, they are hard not to mess with. They are also known to be pretty damn unreliable cars. I know guys that complain about having to replace turbos every 40-50,000 miles on those things. Other little things go wrong on them all the time. They also don't have very good resale value, so no matter what you will be losing a fair amount of money on one.

If I were in your shoes and didn't mind driving a RWD car in the winter, I would go ahead and get a nice, 95-97 BMW E36 325i. They are far more reliable then any Audi would be, and hold their value better as well. It isn't turbo, so it would be easier to resist modding it, and it also gets you introduced to BMWs and how they work. I think the E36 3-series would be a great introduction to an eventual M3.

yes, k3 does want an M3 BADD!!!!

as for modding the S4, this is a problem i might have. i know i would want to tune it and the 300zx both. no such a bad thing but for a college bound person, can be very bad.also, yes its reliablity record isnt the worse but if i am considering a VR4, reliability is something i can give a little on in exchange for something i really like. but i have thought about it all day and i dont think i like the S4 enough to spend the money on it. too many other cars out there...

also, i have seriously thought about getting an older E36 3-series M3 or not. but i dont think i would ever be satisfied knowing there is a E46 M3 out there with my name on it. i bought a 300zx N/A and i ended up making it a Twin Turbo and still am working on making it where i want it. so...knowing myself, if i bought an older E36, it would just make me want the E46 even more.

Originally Posted by kman10587

Sell both your 300ZX and the GTP, and buy a nice E46 M3. Buy another 300ZX when you have the money to do so.

good idea for someone else. i have WAY too much money wrapped up in my 300zx to let it go now. its very close to me being satisified with it. plus, good 300zx's are getting ahard to find but E46 M3's will just keep getting more and more affordable as time goes by. i have seen a few for a little over $30k...once they come down to $25k i dont think there is much in the world that could stop me from buying one.

Originally Posted by DeleriousZ

sell the gtp and get that porsche 944 you were looking at... or an fc3s... you know you waaaaannnnna... lol

thought about either of those...

944's reliabilty is worse than a VR4's and parts alot more expensive. i can do the wrenching but porsche parts are amazingly overpriced.

FC's...i couln't not mod it and turn it in to one hell of an auto-cross car.

someday i may own either or maybe a 240Z but for right now i don't want another car i will want to highly modify.

Originally Posted by TatII

i agree with teh civic part. just buy a civic to drive around so you can get your E46 and mod your Z much faster.

i will never drive a civic but a cheap reliable car is an option. but it still doesnt seem me to drive around a junker. like i said earlier, i think i would atleast save up a few grand and buy a $5k car. thought about a S14 240sx but like with all the other older cars, i dont think i could go without modifying it to do what the Z doesn't do well. for some reason, i feel i have to modify older cars. the VR4, i think i could go without modifying it because it does exactly what the Z32 does. so modifying it for track events would be pointless when i have an even more modified Z32. i dont know if that makes sense...:P

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thanks everyone for your opinions and comments. nobody thinks i should just deal with the GTP and lightly modify it? you guys suck!

well i think i have narrowed out the S4, id like to get rid of bills because i dont like them....not raise them. except for an E46 M3. the sad thing is, i could afford an E46 M3...it just wouldnt be practical. plus, when i get an M3, i want to be able to treat it like i do my 300zx. no DD, no winter driving, pure summer fun...

so..i am really leaning on getting rid of the GTP and getting a VR4. if i came out even on the GTP and came up with a small downpayment on a VR4 then i could easily be paying $200 a month for only a couple years which would be nice. i wouldnt mine throwing some money at it for maitenance issues because i would like it and i am getting it so cheap.

or i was thinking about keeping the GTP and lightly modifying it after i get some of the loan paid off. maybe get some wheels, full exhaust, PCM, and pulley. anyone like this idea?

or instead of a VR4 maybe something different. S14 240SX is the only thing that rings a bell but like i said, too slow in stock form which means it would get modified and probably an RB series motor. plus they are really overpriced right now...

i suck with decision making when it comes to cars! is anyone else this picky and indecisive?

[k3smostwanted]

my point exactly:
http://autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ca...dist=68#vdptop
$7200!!! and only 68 miles away from me and only 87k miles on the car.

for some reason these cars go cheap in illinois. i dont know what it is...

[carbuzzard]

The old fart in me says buy an inexpensive--not beater--car for a daily driver and save the money for a fast car. If you don't have the money to buy two fast cars, you really don't want to have two half-fast cars, do you?
And you can get a car that's not embarrassing to drive around secure in the knowledge that you have the 300ZX underway (or done, for that matter) in the garage for when it really matters. Depending on your local traffic, that may be better all the way around.

[VAD0R]

How about an SVX with ECUTune Stage III kit and a 5 speed manual tranny swap from a WRX or Forester.

But seriously though, even though 3000GT VR4s are getting more reasonable right now they will still set you back from getting that E46 M3 you always wanted. One thing you can do is taking the cheaper route of the same equation and get a Dodge Stealth R/T, same interior, engine plus transmission but even lighter as well as more aerodynamic.

Another thing you can do which would make you reach your BMW goal sooner is get a true winter beater, such as a Subaru Legacy GT (pre-95 if you want the turbocharged performance) or the Galant VR4. Another good truck to consider is the GMC Typhoon or quite possibly even Syclone (major resale value there).

But if you are really eyeing the 3kgt or car of that sort, go for it and good luck.

[k3smostwanted]

Originally Posted by VAD0R

How about an SVX with ECUTune Stage III kit and a 5 speed manual tranny swap from a WRX or Forester.

But seriously though, even though 3000GT VR4s are getting more reasonable right now they will still set you back from getting that E46 M3 you always wanted. One thing you can do is taking the cheaper route of the same equation and get a Dodge Stealth R/T, same interior, engine plus transmission but even lighter as well as more aerodynamic.

Another thing you can do which would make you reach your BMW goal sooner is get a true winter beater, such as a Subaru Legacy GT (pre-95 if you want the turbocharged performance) or the Galant VR4. Another good truck to consider is the GMC Typhoon or quite possibly even Syclone (major resale value there).

But if you are really eyeing the 3kgt or car of that sort, go for it and good luck.

SVX, thought about it...too much work to be happy with it. 5-speed swap? ill reserve that sort of thing for the Z32.

well the thing about it...the VR4 will actually allow me to reach my goal of a E46 M3 quicker than the Grand Prix i have now.
dodge stealth is a big no for me....its like the ugly brother of the 3kgt. i dont know what dodge was thinking about with that...

too hard to find a good condition Galant VR4. come to think of it...i have never even seen one in real life. as for the others...blah, not enough too like about them.

we will see about mid winter...if i can get rid of the grand prixi just may and find a nice VR4.