Best Bang for Buck, Hands Down

[Stratocaster5292]

I figured I would do this thread because everytime when someone says a car is fast, someone will come in and bring up a car thats 5000 dollars cheaper and argue that it would be faster with 5000 in mods. So my question is: What do you guys think is hands down the best performance buy, including the cost of the car and the modifications. No consideration of mileage, comfort, or style.

A few rules I thought I would implement in order to keep it "fair"

It has to have 4 wheels, you can get a used Suzuki GSR or other superbike for a few thousand dollars and outrun any ferrari or lambo.

No jet engines or some other wacky thing like that.

Keep it realistic, no taking the drivetrain out of a buick and putting it in a geo (Ive seen this before, but come on, if this is allowed this thread will venture into the realm of fantasy, not possibility)

It has to be street legal. If you cant drive it legally on a public road, theres no point.

[kman10587]

For a drag race, I'm honestly gonna have to go with the Fox Body 5.0 Mustang. But the Camaro Z28 is great too.

[pre98zetec]

Srt-4 (for new), 5.0 Mustang or Camaro Z28 (for older)

[Stratocaster5292]

I think a Ford Festiva with a b6d put in the engine bay would be the best performance buy. You could do all of it for less then 1000 dollars including the perchase of the car, an extra 500 or so and you could turbo charge it. A ford festiva with 130 hp has the same power to weight as a 1999 plus mustang GT, and you could get one up to 150 hp with a 1500 dollar budget, including the price of the car. If you stripped out the interior you could have a car thats deep into the 13s for about 1500 dollars.

[5 Point 7]

5.0 Mustang... very possible. But hands down, price of vehicle AND mods, 93-97 LT1. No question.

[5 Point 7]

Originally Posted by Stratocaster5292

I think a Ford Festiva with a b6d put in the engine bay would be the best performance buy. You could do all of it for less then 1000 dollars including the perchase of the car, an extra 500 or so and you could turbo charge it. A ford festiva with 130 hp has the same power to weight as a 1999 plus mustang GT, and you could get one up to 150 hp with a 1500 dollar budget, including the price of the car. If you stripped out the interior you could have a car thats deep into the 13s for about 1500 dollars.

Very true! But...LT1 is there stock. If the cheapest route to 13 sec. car, that is not one, you are right. But past that point...good luck.

[longlivetheZ]

Camaro and mustang? Ehh...ok. Look in my sig. VERY cheap to pick up, good, strong, turbo'd engines, not too heavy, aerodynamic, etc. This is kind of a cliche topic though...there are tons of cars that are just as good as another. Also, are you talking about just power potential or what's best for a particular purpose? No one could pick just ONE car that's better than all the others. Z cars are awesome for potential and usually not too expensive to pick up. For the ultimate potential at the sacrifice of cost (over here, anyway...go to japan and the 2JZ and RBs are comparable to mustangs and camaros over here), pick up a 2JZ-GTE, RB26DETT, Grand National, or Corvette...they are definately as good as you can get for bang for the buck potential...no doubt. These could be followed close behind by the VG30s, SR series of engines, V-TEC engines, etc...I've seen civics running 10s ALL MOTOR...it's pretty expensive to get to this point though and that's why the SRs, VGs, and V-TECs aren't up closer to the 2JZs and RBs.

I know I'm gunna get ripped apart for this...but it's aight...bring it.

[kman10587]

Hehe, in Japan, they do 'wangan' (top speed runs on un-policed highways) with their turbo Z cars. So they definitely have potential. But I think when it comes to drag racing, the best cars out there are the Mustang GT w/ 5.0 and the Camaro Z28 w/ LT1. For a cheap autocross or track car, I'd go with an older MX-5 Miata or 240SX; great handling right out of the box.

[longlivetheZ]

The Z is versatile enough to do all that. I've heard of auto cross Zs as well as 10 second Zs....in fact...read this. 10 seconds, full interior, auto trans and ~3700 lbs. Zs can do the quarter...know of 3 or 4 11 second Z31Ts and one 8 second Z31T...again, with the full interior...



Granted, they aren't 1/4 mile cars, but Z's are still quite versatile...they can do a lot of things very well without TOO heafty of an investment. If you want a cheap 1/4 car, domestic is probably the way to go if you're on a REALLY tight budget...I saw an old, peesashit ford ranger pickup that someone put a huge engine in that was running 10s (or so I heard, at least)...talk about the ultimate sleeper. A Z will take you much further than a mustang or camaro will if you want to build a real sports car, though....not just a quarter mile queen.

As for the first post's reference to the "$5000 will make mine faster than yours" thing, if I had $5000 to put into my Z31 right now, I pity the fool who comes up to me at a stop light...I don't care WHAT you're in.

[Lamborsari_Merbini]

im gonna have to go with the LT1 but whenever i see a thread like this i think cosworth for some reason. as for the japanese im sure you could get a super cheap one and keep finding mods for it while keeping the price down and having an insanely fast car, but no LT1 just look at its stats

[nbw]

1g AWD DSM
5.0Mustang(camaro and firebirds too but they arent as light as the stang is)
c4 vette
mk1 mr2
miata
CRX
88 fiero

[Vettribution87]

Originally Posted by longlivetheZ

The Z is versatile enough to do all that. I've heard of auto cross Zs as well as 10 second Zs....in fact...read this. 10 seconds, full interior, auto trans and ~3700 lbs. Zs can do the quarter...know of 3 or 4 11 second Z31Ts and one 8 second Z31T...again, with the full interior...

Granted, they aren't 1/4 mile cars, but Z's are still quite versatile...they can do a lot of things very well without TOO heafty of an investment. If you want a cheap 1/4 car, domestic is probably the way to go if you're on a REALLY tight budget...I saw an old, peesashit ford ranger pickup that someone put a huge engine in that was running 10s (or so I heard, at least)...talk about the ultimate sleeper. A Z will take you much further than a mustang or camaro will if you want to build a real sports car, though....not just a quarter mile queen.

As for the first post's reference to the "$5000 will make mine faster than yours" thing, if I had $5000 to put into my Z31 right now, I pity the fool who comes up to me at a stop light...I don't care WHAT you're in.

Hmmmm. Such praise.

Hey, you wouldnt be trying to sell a Z on here would you?

[GTStang]

If I was gonna use a Festiva as a base why not just put a 220HP SHO motor in one like the 50 SHOGUNS that were made?

Also a Z can be made into a 1/4 mile car just as easily as a Mustang/Camaro can be made a road track destroyer.

[pre98zetec]

Originally Posted by GTStang

If I was gonna use a Festiva as a base why not just put a 220HP SHO motor in one like the 50 SHOGUNS that were made?

Also a Z can be made into a 1/4 mile car just as easily as a Mustang/Camaro can be made a road track destroyer.

Or a SVT Contour motor , I've heard a festiva with a Zetec swap could hit low 14's, Just think of what a bigger motor could do :o

[5 Point 7]

Originally Posted by longlivetheZ

A Z will take you much further than a mustang or camaro will if you want to build a real sports car.

I now can say I think your crazy... And I entirely DISagree with you. No way can a 2.8 or 3.0 leader be faster by ANY means due to double the displacement. And handling, anything under 3500 lbs, and a few parts bolted on handles substantialy well. Z, worthy competitor, VERY much so! Terminator of performance, not so... I still put my money on the F-Body. Come on people, throw some more in, I'd love to hear your ideas.

EDIT: NOT focusing this into an "Import - Domestic", thread. Just one sports car platform to another. I just happen to like F-Bodys, and my counter-part...Z's. In fact my favorite Import are Nissan Z's (300zx, 350z). Just trying to obviate this distinction.