Cheapest "fast" car possible (modified)

[8ball]

I think the supra takes the cake.

[dysfunk]

87-92 fbody 350tpi with bolt ons, gears, suspension, and a tune could and can cost under 5k.

That is what i would pick for a cheap quick track car or a fun DD.

This. I had an 89 formula 350 ws6. She was stock except for a two degree advanced timing. Handles like a dream with sport tires. I don't recommend one for driving on wet pavement. Even for 35mph cruising in town while the road is wet is kind of scary.

[Jarrett]

A WS-6 third gen is a rare car. You never see those.

[dysfunk]

Most all Formula 350s were WS6. When I lived in Sanford, NC. We had a F-body meet every Friday night, there would be about 12 of us there, of the 12 3rd gens that would show up, there would be roughly 6-7 WS6 Formula 350s. There was one guy who would show up in his 92 Firehawk, which to F-body enthusiasts, you know how rare a third generation Firehawk is.

Mine was Medium Maui Blue, T-Tops, automatic, A/C and grey cloth. From my research, not many were made with both T-Tops and A/C.

I wish I had never gotten rid of it. But it's in good hands now. She just got repainted MMB, new reproduction wrap around spoiler, aluminum wheels dipped in chrome, and a complete motor rebuild. I sold her with 73k miles. The current owner only drives it on spring/summer Sunday's.

[SOHC-FTW]

I've had 2 3rd gens one with the ws6 supension package which was my very first car. I love them they can be had for little of nothing these days. MMMMM 3rd gen firehawk guys got a investment there that will turn a profit!

[mayberry]

Because its true. Air has weight, compressed air, greater weight and the same volume.

10 psi on a 14b is not the same as 10the psi on a gt3071. Flow of a turbo makes a large difference in how that pressurized air fills the combustion chamber, and how quickly the psi is equalized in the intake manifold after an intake valve opens.

The point I was making is that DSM's aren't unreliable due to head gasket issues. With a proper set up, DSM's can be some of the most reliable sub ten second cars out there. What the person was referencing sounded more like operator error.

[deevergote]

Most DSMs today are unreliable due to neglect and abuse, not a poor design. Their AWD system is a bit more convoluted than I'd prefer, but it has proven to be effective.
PROPERLY built, they will be perfectly reliable.
The only problem in this scenario is that to have an old DSM built properly, it would cost a good amount of money for restoration... and then a good amount of money again to make the car capable of supercar-level performance.
Doable? Probably. Most likely no more or less expensive than modifying a well-maintained C5 Vette to reach the same performance levels.

[MortsAccord]

The point I was making is that DSM's aren't unreliable due to head gasket issues. With a proper set up, DSM's can be some of the most reliable sub ten second cars out there. What the person was referencing sounded more like operator error.

Im not saying they have issues with the head gaskets, that just happened to be what failed on my buddys car when he probably took it into fuel cut and got detonation. Its actually the cheapest fix when compared to a warped head, spun main/rod bearing or cracked block. but all the gaskets that are the same are difference prices depending on what car you tell the parts store you have. GD chrystler and their "my shit dont stink" parts.


Yea, let me be the first to buy them a leash though because that crank be walkin soon.

I'm a DSM hater, and in some part a supra 1/2jz engine hater. Terrible ammount of bandwagoners.

Eh if you were ognna do it the best year is a 1995 gsx, if you can find one with the rear vented brakes and twin piston calipers up front. my buddy has one actually.

[owequitit]

Most DSMs today are unreliable due to neglect and abuse, not a poor design. Their AWD system is a bit more convoluted than I'd prefer, but it has proven to be effective.
PROPERLY built, they will be perfectly reliable.
The only problem in this scenario is that to have an old DSM built properly, it would cost a good amount of money for restoration... and then a good amount of money again to make the car capable of supercar-level performance.
Doable? Probably. Most likely no more or less expensive than modifying a well-maintained C5 Vette to reach the same performance levels.

You know, no offense, but I Honda had released a performance car with the crank walk and tranny failure issues the DSM's had in various generations, people would be pissed off. Look at how much shit they get for having essentially one god-awful transmission in the 6th gen Accord...

That said, Mitsubishi had done a decent job of working out most of the issues by the time they retired that technology.

As for the HP, it is great and all, but several other makes can, do and have made just as much power when built to the same level, but most of them don't necessarily harness it to AWD.

That said, it would STILL be cheaper to get a used Z06 and get that to go fast than a DSM, and it would also be perfectly reliable.

[deevergote]

The Z06 would certainly have been maintained better... and the technology behind it has evolved over decades.
The Corvette (C5+ especially... C4 even, to a point) is almost a cheater car in this. The Corvette has much of what it takes to be a supercar as it is, and it's already at a bargain price with that in mind.
That being said, an early Viper would work as well. The Viper is regarded more as a supercar as well.
Of course, one could get an older Ferrari for a "low" price... though the money necessary to keep that running, and get it to current-day performance levels, would make it an unreasonable choice, I suppose.

I do agree that if Honda released a car with quality-control issues like the 2nd gen DSM, there would be hell to pay. Then again, Honda's bread and butter is first and foremost their reputation for reliability. Honda is best known for the Civic and Accord. In their basic form, their most popular form, they are sensible, reliable, efficient people haulers. Sure, there's some sportiness in there, but that's not what sells them, for the most part.
Mitsubishi's brand has largely been built on cars that were aggressively styled, and offered impressive performance... reliability be damned! Mitsubishi has NEVER been praised for reliability. Their more boring cars usually go completely ignored. I once read a Car and Driver "New cars for 20**" article that had one thing to say about the Galant, and one thing only: "Yes, they still make it!"
I bet the average person will have to think for a minute to remember the compact car that preceded the Lancer in the American market...

[SOHC-FTW]

I had a mirage it was byfar the most beat on car i ever owned and lasted me a few years. It was also the first car i ever swapped back in 05ish learned alot, if i had a chance to buy one for cheap i wouldn't hesitate. Fun but slow and got 35mpg wide open great cars IMO.

Oh and deev yoter with the celica which is a great car aswell i've did quite abit of work and a full swap on my little brothers with the 7afe.

[Jarrett]

The Mirage!

Dysfunk, yes I am quite the F-body enthusiast. I'll get you a couple pictures when I get back to College Station on either Monday or Tuesday. And by MMB do you mean MBM? I only know of Medium Blue Metallic that uses that acronym.

[dysfunk]

The Mirage!

Dysfunk, yes I am quite the F-body enthusiast. I'll get you a couple pictures when I get back to College Station on either Monday or Tuesday. And by MMB do you mean MBM? I only know of Medium Blue Metallic that uses that acronym.

Yea that's what I meant. My bad bro. My cousin owned a 89 iroc-z with the 350 tpi.. black and gold with t-tops and a/c as well.

[wed3k]

foxbody mustang

built 302 with cam and gt40 heads would probably put out more power than the junk tpi injection 350.

[SOHC-FTW]

That depends on the year really the 350 tpi went up to 245hp and around 350tq. A good healthy 350tpi 87-92 roller will put about 190-220whp down depending on year and condition and run high to mid 14s with a 5spd and a good driver. The fbody does out weigh a fox by a few hundred pounds so the fox has decent power to weight, but a bolt on, e303 cam, and exploderrrrrr heads might put down 240-250whp just the same or even more can be had from a TPI with the same basics bolt on's,ZZ9 cam, and vortec heads. I've owned both cars and both are fun, but the 3rd gen fbody handles alot better than any gt i've ever driven/rode in.