best cheap lightweight thrash around car

[V8slayer]

A few friends and I want to buy a cheap car to modify and thrash around (Track not Drag, so we want it to turn).

Light weight and great chasis being the key becuase we intend to modify everything else.

I've come up with the following list. Please let me know what you think and feel free to add more. (Very limited access to american cars in Australia so please leave those out).

Honda Civic
Suzuki Swift GTI
Toyota Corrolla GT4
Old Mini Cooper S
Renault Clio Sport
Ford Cosworth Sierra
Pergeot 206 (MKI) or 205
Lotus Elise
Lotus Esprit
Nissan Sylvia

[l33tc4k30fd00m]

Esprit? I didn't know they were cheap...

Do you get Caterham's over there? That's what I'd suggest.

[christophv]

"trash around" an Elise or Esprit? that's on the borderline of crime, you know

I could understand to do that with a civic or swift.
you could also get one of those very old Volvo Turbos and tickle them to like 400hp, they'll run a couple of thousand kms.

what else, maybe an old Golf 2 GTI?
I've seen 1st gen M3s running 180mph on the track, so get one, tear everything out but the driver's seat, steering wheel, gear stick and gauges out, get a big exhaust, big injectors, new camshafts and raise the boost

[NISSANSPDR]

What about a Miata?

[xsoulbrothax]

Originally Posted by NISSANSPDR

What about a Miata?

^^^ Seconded!

It's also a fairly cut-and-dried affair to drop a supercharger or turbocharger onto almost any miata and get a solid chunk of power for a car that's so light.

[Polygon]

Originally Posted by l33tc4k30fd00m

Esprit? I didn't know they were cheap...

Or light for that matter.

[datsZman]

lotus elise and esprit are NOT chap trash. but personally I would go with an '84 GTI,light cheap and lots of modifications,also easy to maintain

[R32's Kick ass]

hey why not include a mitsubishi lancer gsr or a mirage cyborg(1.6 litre mivec engine) they both go pretty well and the gsr is 4wd with 1.8 litre turbo

[Jimster]

You also have very limited access to Cossie's in Australia, so null point really, on the American cars thing.

Get a Civic VTi-R, tuneable, fun and can't go wrong really.

[freakonaleash1187]

i would take the sylvia, light and rwd, a winning combo. i see a lot of people take 240's (closest thing to sylvia we have) here in the states and run them hard at auto-x.

[R32's Kick ass]

yea the Silvia is a good punters car sileighty is nice too (front of silvia rear of 180sx) as seen in Initial D the sr20det is pretty good for tuning as well

[nbw]

early mk1 mr2.
2350~lb's
mid engine RWD
cheap

[NISSANSPDR]

Cant Evo 1's or 2's been found for cheap? I know they are not super light...but they should be cheap by now.......?

[DinanM3_S2]

Good luck finding an old Evo in the states...

[BLU CIVIC]

crx or miata