For $3k though, the answer is Miata... Or older BMW. Nice and slow so you can wring its neck on the street without problems!
Best budget fun car - Porsche vs. BMW vs. Pontiac?
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Out of the three mentioned, the obvious answer is the GTO.
You can't begin to touch one for $3K, though.
Whoever posted about parts availability for them has a legitimate point. I had mine when they were new, and still in full production, and there were long wait times then for parts, bolt on body parts, in particular. Some people would convert them to use the Holden fascias, but that's expensive.
For the G8 as someone mentioned, the situation is uncertain. The bolt on body parts were Pontiac specific. And when GM pulled the plug on Pontiac, Holden made a run of Commodore's for their home market using the excess Pontiac body parts. So those Pontiac panels may remain available as replacement parts since some were sold in the home market.
Or they may just be gone.
You can't begin to touch one for $3K, though.
Whoever posted about parts availability for them has a legitimate point. I had mine when they were new, and still in full production, and there were long wait times then for parts, bolt on body parts, in particular. Some people would convert them to use the Holden fascias, but that's expensive.
For the G8 as someone mentioned, the situation is uncertain. The bolt on body parts were Pontiac specific. And when GM pulled the plug on Pontiac, Holden made a run of Commodore's for their home market using the excess Pontiac body parts. So those Pontiac panels may remain available as replacement parts since some were sold in the home market.
Or they may just be gone.
Originally Posted By: IndyIan
For $3k though, the answer is Miata... Or older BMW. Nice and slow so you can wring its neck on the street without problems!
I would probably add the Mustang to this list. I'd personally prefer a Miata at this price point though.
For $3k though, the answer is Miata... Or older BMW. Nice and slow so you can wring its neck on the street without problems!
I would probably add the Mustang to this list. I'd personally prefer a Miata at this price point though.
http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/cto/4450009676.html
For all the great advice you guys have provided, I have to say I'm leaning towards something like this. (1986 Porsche 944, 4cyl 5spd, 155k miles, needs some basic maintenance). I'd probably pull the engine and redo the clutch, new gaskets and seals, check condition of crank, cam, and bearings, new shocks, etc. Seems like a fun project for $2800 to start, plus another $1000 in parts.
For all the great advice you guys have provided, I have to say I'm leaning towards something like this. (1986 Porsche 944, 4cyl 5spd, 155k miles, needs some basic maintenance). I'd probably pull the engine and redo the clutch, new gaskets and seals, check condition of crank, cam, and bearings, new shocks, etc. Seems like a fun project for $2800 to start, plus another $1000 in parts.
I find it hard to believe that car for 2700$...
$3K a tough budget for sure... good set of tires run 1000$...
$3K a tough budget for sure... good set of tires run 1000$...
Originally Posted By: gofast182
A couple other people mentioned it but in my biased opinion the S2000 is going to be one of your best bets for a budget fun car even though it doesn't have back seats. It's purpose-built with some incredible Honda engineering behind it. You can drive it 2 hours to the track, run it hard all day, drive it home, wash it, and then take the Mrs for a ride the next day. Over the past year or two there have been several articles written noting how good it is/was in addition to the praise it got when it was in production.
^^^WHERE for $3K, save for a total/wreck??!!
A couple other people mentioned it but in my biased opinion the S2000 is going to be one of your best bets for a budget fun car even though it doesn't have back seats. It's purpose-built with some incredible Honda engineering behind it. You can drive it 2 hours to the track, run it hard all day, drive it home, wash it, and then take the Mrs for a ride the next day. Over the past year or two there have been several articles written noting how good it is/was in addition to the praise it got when it was in production.
^^^WHERE for $3K, save for a total/wreck??!!
The prices quoted are pretty unrealistic if you use 3 grand as a number! Better save some money, especially if BMW or Porsche are in the stable.
I used to spend a LOT of time at road courses all over the country in my current car. I never bought much of anything but tires and brake pads, and most of the pads were experiments that failed to match the performance of the factory Jurids that came on the Brembos.
GTO's have no room for the brakes they need badly, not a good track car at all IMO. I ran imports, found them grossly more expensive than cheap used Vettes and I passed them all regularly. I still whip up on my buddy's M3 V8, he really freaks out at Sebring where I pass in 3 different places!
Firebirds and Camaros are always easy to build up and cheap to keep. I have met some surprisingly inexpensive ones that were AMAZINGLY fast. Some great bang for your hard earned bucks there.
My advice is find a balanced car with most of the performance already baked in. This kinda kills the budget but may prove cheaper in the long run.
I used to spend a LOT of time at road courses all over the country in my current car. I never bought much of anything but tires and brake pads, and most of the pads were experiments that failed to match the performance of the factory Jurids that came on the Brembos.
GTO's have no room for the brakes they need badly, not a good track car at all IMO. I ran imports, found them grossly more expensive than cheap used Vettes and I passed them all regularly. I still whip up on my buddy's M3 V8, he really freaks out at Sebring where I pass in 3 different places!
Firebirds and Camaros are always easy to build up and cheap to keep. I have met some surprisingly inexpensive ones that were AMAZINGLY fast. Some great bang for your hard earned bucks there.
My advice is find a balanced car with most of the performance already baked in. This kinda kills the budget but may prove cheaper in the long run.
Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
The prices quoted are pretty unrealistic if you use 3 grand as a number! Better save some money, especially if BMW or Porsche are in the stable.
I used to spend a LOT of time at road courses all over the country in my current car. I never bought much of anything but tires and brake pads, and most of the pads were experiments that failed to match the performance of the factory Jurids that came on the Brembos.
GTO's have no room for the brakes they need badly, not a good track car at all IMO. I ran imports, found them grossly more expensive than cheap used Vettes and I passed them all regularly. I still whip up on my buddy's M3 V8, he really freaks out at Sebring where I pass in 3 different places!
Firebirds and Camaros are always easy to build up and cheap to keep. I have met some surprisingly inexpensive ones that were AMAZINGLY fast. Some great bang for your hard earned bucks there.
My advice is find a balanced car with most of the performance already baked in. This kinda kills the budget but may prove cheaper in the long run.
This all depends on what you're choosing. If you insist upon going as fast as a Corvette, then getting an import there may not be that cheap. But if you're running a stock first gen Miata, I'm having a really difficult time with the idea that it costs "grossly more expensive" than a used Corvette.
The prices quoted are pretty unrealistic if you use 3 grand as a number! Better save some money, especially if BMW or Porsche are in the stable.
I used to spend a LOT of time at road courses all over the country in my current car. I never bought much of anything but tires and brake pads, and most of the pads were experiments that failed to match the performance of the factory Jurids that came on the Brembos.
GTO's have no room for the brakes they need badly, not a good track car at all IMO. I ran imports, found them grossly more expensive than cheap used Vettes and I passed them all regularly. I still whip up on my buddy's M3 V8, he really freaks out at Sebring where I pass in 3 different places!
Firebirds and Camaros are always easy to build up and cheap to keep. I have met some surprisingly inexpensive ones that were AMAZINGLY fast. Some great bang for your hard earned bucks there.
My advice is find a balanced car with most of the performance already baked in. This kinda kills the budget but may prove cheaper in the long run.
This all depends on what you're choosing. If you insist upon going as fast as a Corvette, then getting an import there may not be that cheap. But if you're running a stock first gen Miata, I'm having a really difficult time with the idea that it costs "grossly more expensive" than a used Corvette.
Originally Posted By: dailydriver
Originally Posted By: gofast182
A couple other people mentioned it but in my biased opinion the S2000 is going to be one of your best bets for a budget fun car even though it doesn't have back seats. It's purpose-built with some incredible Honda engineering behind it. You can drive it 2 hours to the track, run it hard all day, drive it home, wash it, and then take the Mrs for a ride the next day. Over the past year or two there have been several articles written noting how good it is/was in addition to the praise it got when it was in production.
^^^WHERE for $3K, save for a total/wreck??!!
Apologies, I missed the 3k price in the OP. No you cannot get an S2000 for that but I'm confident a handful of BMW candidates could be found.
Originally Posted By: gofast182
A couple other people mentioned it but in my biased opinion the S2000 is going to be one of your best bets for a budget fun car even though it doesn't have back seats. It's purpose-built with some incredible Honda engineering behind it. You can drive it 2 hours to the track, run it hard all day, drive it home, wash it, and then take the Mrs for a ride the next day. Over the past year or two there have been several articles written noting how good it is/was in addition to the praise it got when it was in production.
^^^WHERE for $3K, save for a total/wreck??!!
Apologies, I missed the 3k price in the OP. No you cannot get an S2000 for that but I'm confident a handful of BMW candidates could be found.
Originally Posted By: gofast182
Originally Posted By: dailydriver
Originally Posted By: gofast182
A couple other people mentioned it but in my biased opinion the S2000 is going to be one of your best bets for a budget fun car even though it doesn't have back seats. It's purpose-built with some incredible Honda engineering behind it. You can drive it 2 hours to the track, run it hard all day, drive it home, wash it, and then take the Mrs for a ride the next day. Over the past year or two there have been several articles written noting how good it is/was in addition to the praise it got when it was in production.
^^^WHERE for $3K, save for a total/wreck??!!
Apologies, I missed the 3k price in the OP. No you cannot get an S2000 for that but I'm confident a handful of BMW candidates could be found.
I wonder what a hail damaged, or vandalized performance car can go for? Say with enough superficial damage to write it off?
I guess a mechanically decent S2000 salvage titled car is still going to be $5-6k?
Originally Posted By: dailydriver
Originally Posted By: gofast182
A couple other people mentioned it but in my biased opinion the S2000 is going to be one of your best bets for a budget fun car even though it doesn't have back seats. It's purpose-built with some incredible Honda engineering behind it. You can drive it 2 hours to the track, run it hard all day, drive it home, wash it, and then take the Mrs for a ride the next day. Over the past year or two there have been several articles written noting how good it is/was in addition to the praise it got when it was in production.
^^^WHERE for $3K, save for a total/wreck??!!
Apologies, I missed the 3k price in the OP. No you cannot get an S2000 for that but I'm confident a handful of BMW candidates could be found.
I wonder what a hail damaged, or vandalized performance car can go for? Say with enough superficial damage to write it off?
I guess a mechanically decent S2000 salvage titled car is still going to be $5-6k?
There's a reason Miatas are popular track cars. They are well balanced, affordable initial cost, brakes and tires are fairly cheap too. You can bolt a track ready roll bar in for $600 to $1k. Full cages are available off the shelf.
I'd consider how important a four seater is in the matrix. Track cars are track cars. Cars to go out cruising with the family on Sundays and get ice cream are not. Unless they are a gear head, nobody else really wants to ride in your track car with you. Sorry it's the truth. Especially with a 3k budget.
Of the three choices given, I'd go BMW first, just cause it's newer and has good parts support. Second would be the Porsche 944. But it's not a close second. I disqualify the pontiac from the line up. Cost primarily, but I think the other cars are better track road course choices.
I'd consider how important a four seater is in the matrix. Track cars are track cars. Cars to go out cruising with the family on Sundays and get ice cream are not. Unless they are a gear head, nobody else really wants to ride in your track car with you. Sorry it's the truth. Especially with a 3k budget.
Of the three choices given, I'd go BMW first, just cause it's newer and has good parts support. Second would be the Porsche 944. But it's not a close second. I disqualify the pontiac from the line up. Cost primarily, but I think the other cars are better track road course choices.
Originally Posted By: IndyIan
Originally Posted By: gofast182
Originally Posted By: dailydriver
Originally Posted By: gofast182
A couple other people mentioned it but in my biased opinion the S2000 is going to be one of your best bets for a budget fun car even though it doesn't have back seats. It's purpose-built with some incredible Honda engineering behind it. You can drive it 2 hours to the track, run it hard all day, drive it home, wash it, and then take the Mrs for a ride the next day. Over the past year or two there have been several articles written noting how good it is/was in addition to the praise it got when it was in production.
^^^WHERE for $3K, save for a total/wreck??!!
Apologies, I missed the 3k price in the OP. No you cannot get an S2000 for that but I'm confident a handful of BMW candidates could be found.
I wonder what a hail damaged, or vandalized performance car can go for? Say with enough superficial damage to write it off?
I guess a mechanically decent S2000 salvage titled car is still going to be $5-6k?
Hmm, well I know rollers go for 2-3k so I'd imagine a salvage like that would be in the 5-6k range.
Originally Posted By: gofast182
Originally Posted By: dailydriver
Originally Posted By: gofast182
A couple other people mentioned it but in my biased opinion the S2000 is going to be one of your best bets for a budget fun car even though it doesn't have back seats. It's purpose-built with some incredible Honda engineering behind it. You can drive it 2 hours to the track, run it hard all day, drive it home, wash it, and then take the Mrs for a ride the next day. Over the past year or two there have been several articles written noting how good it is/was in addition to the praise it got when it was in production.
^^^WHERE for $3K, save for a total/wreck??!!
Apologies, I missed the 3k price in the OP. No you cannot get an S2000 for that but I'm confident a handful of BMW candidates could be found.
I wonder what a hail damaged, or vandalized performance car can go for? Say with enough superficial damage to write it off?
I guess a mechanically decent S2000 salvage titled car is still going to be $5-6k?
Hmm, well I know rollers go for 2-3k so I'd imagine a salvage like that would be in the 5-6k range.
Originally Posted By: 05LGTLtd
I'd consider how important a four seater is in the matrix. Track cars are track cars. Cars to go out cruising with the family on Sundays and get ice cream are not. Unless they are a gear head, nobody else really wants to ride in your track car with you. Sorry it's the truth. Especially with a 3k budget.
Ok, this is a good point actually. In terms of priorities I think I'll have to put this lowest, so maybe in that case I'll need to think more about the two-seater idea.
I'd consider how important a four seater is in the matrix. Track cars are track cars. Cars to go out cruising with the family on Sundays and get ice cream are not. Unless they are a gear head, nobody else really wants to ride in your track car with you. Sorry it's the truth. Especially with a 3k budget.
Ok, this is a good point actually. In terms of priorities I think I'll have to put this lowest, so maybe in that case I'll need to think more about the two-seater idea.
4th gen M6 camaro or trans am would be my pick. The aftermarket is crazy with them and they make good solid reliable power.
Originally Posted By: ProStreetCamaro
4th gen M6 camaro or trans am would be my pick. The aftermarket is crazy with them and they make good solid reliable power.
They also can be made to go around a road course VERY quickly, for very little investment, even though MANY/MOST of the Teuton/Nipponphiles on here will attempt to emphatically deny/refute this FACT.
For support/help on these see; frrax.com
4th gen M6 camaro or trans am would be my pick. The aftermarket is crazy with them and they make good solid reliable power.
They also can be made to go around a road course VERY quickly, for very little investment, even though MANY/MOST of the Teuton/Nipponphiles on here will attempt to emphatically deny/refute this FACT.
For support/help on these see; frrax.com
Originally Posted By: 05LGTLtd
300ZX???
I suppose you could get a 1980s Z car at a good price, but many of them had unnecessary electronic gadgets that can be hard to find and are expensive. The other thing to remember is that it might not be fun to have an NA engine in a Z-car, and turbo models will always sell for more money. Often the suspension is adjustable, but replacement shocks are struts are expensive, and converting to non-electronic shocks and struts might not be cheap either.
If you get a 300ZX, you will have an engine with a timing belt. It is the only weakness the engine has.
Now if you want a 1990-1996 Nissan 300ZX, good luck. Not only do you have to deal with a timing belt, you also have far less space under the hood to replace it. I'm not sure if the 300ZX had a special stereo system that requires expensive repair parts, maybe it was an option. Also, it has gadgetry that you don't need.
A Toyota Supra Turbo made before 1992 might cost less than a 1980s Nissan Z, but you still have to deal with all that gadgetry that premium 1980s cars were known for.
300ZX???
I suppose you could get a 1980s Z car at a good price, but many of them had unnecessary electronic gadgets that can be hard to find and are expensive. The other thing to remember is that it might not be fun to have an NA engine in a Z-car, and turbo models will always sell for more money. Often the suspension is adjustable, but replacement shocks are struts are expensive, and converting to non-electronic shocks and struts might not be cheap either.
If you get a 300ZX, you will have an engine with a timing belt. It is the only weakness the engine has.
Now if you want a 1990-1996 Nissan 300ZX, good luck. Not only do you have to deal with a timing belt, you also have far less space under the hood to replace it. I'm not sure if the 300ZX had a special stereo system that requires expensive repair parts, maybe it was an option. Also, it has gadgetry that you don't need.
A Toyota Supra Turbo made before 1992 might cost less than a 1980s Nissan Z, but you still have to deal with all that gadgetry that premium 1980s cars were known for.
Originally Posted By: gregoron
How about the Toyota AE86 Trueno with the DOHC engine? You might find some in the $3k price range.
You have to deal with the "hype tax" for these, much like the latest model of turbo Supra. Finding a half decent one in running condition for $3k would require a massive amount of luck. You're better off trying to find a Miata, or maybe '85 or older RX-7.
Come to think of it, if you don't mind searching a bit, a first gen RX-7 could be a fantastic track rat, and finding one in your price range is certainly possible. The engine is a little more fussy than most, but not inherently unreliable if you're able to find a good one to start with.
How about the Toyota AE86 Trueno with the DOHC engine? You might find some in the $3k price range.
You have to deal with the "hype tax" for these, much like the latest model of turbo Supra. Finding a half decent one in running condition for $3k would require a massive amount of luck. You're better off trying to find a Miata, or maybe '85 or older RX-7.
Come to think of it, if you don't mind searching a bit, a first gen RX-7 could be a fantastic track rat, and finding one in your price range is certainly possible. The engine is a little more fussy than most, but not inherently unreliable if you're able to find a good one to start with.
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