Cheapest "fast" car possible (modified)

[owequitit]

nissan 180 or 240sx with a rb swap. bigger turbo and a nice suspension,tires and tune...and its still in the ball park of 20k.not to mention it looks good too.

180 and 240 SX need all sorts of chassis reinforcements to get close.

[Jarrett]

I supported the C5 Z06 in the "supercars" thread and I think it's relevant here as well. The low-mileage example I linked to in the supercars thread was $16,000 and it was a 2002. In addition to the power and speed it gets amazing fuel economy. Here's a video demonstration of an LS1 C5 with a T-56 6-speed that gets over 30mpg.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AtPwnsyGTxw

There are tons of videos online where people show you what type of mileage their Corvettes are getting on the highway. And they are not far-fetched at all. I've gotten 29mpg in a cammed (Texas Speed Torquer V.2)LS1 Camaro SS with the 6-speed and primarily highway driving. It's 300lbs. heavier and has a higher coefficient of drag.

In my opinion it's just a practical supercar that can go fast and is still practical for daily driving.

Also, the GTO cannot do 200mph even close to what I would consider easily. Unless, of course, you were referring to a Ferrari 599 GTO.

[Straight Success]

Okay, the video that I did see was in km/hr. My bad. I haven't watch it in a while. 170, yes.

[deevergote]

The 240sx suspension setup is pretty lousy as well. I've been told by someone who owns both an S13 and an 88 Accord that the Accord has a far more sophisticated suspension.

The 240sx was basically intended to be an inexpensive RWD sporty coupe... nothing fancy. They kept it rather tame as to not detract from the 300zx's sales.
Why do people in the US suggest getting a 180sx, anyway? We never got the 180sx in the US!

[Straight Success]

In all fairness, the best bang for the buck to keep up with a super car (with suspension work done of course) is going to come in two forms. One will be a slighted dated American RWD sports car w/ a performance V8. The other will come in the form of an also slightly aged boosted Japanese car, most likely in the form of a 6 cylinder.

[Jarrett]

170 it can do (assuming we're talking about the '05-'06) with a freer-flowing intake and exhaust, some ported heads and more aggressive cam. But the difference between 170 and 200mph is astronomical. The difference between 170 and 180 is even a huge jump. But I think I'm arguing just for the sake of arguing so I'll stop.

In my opinion the C5 Corvette accomplishes all the criteria and still won't set you back that much. The insurance on one isn't bad either.

[crazymikey]

I'll just drop this here. Power to weight. Handling. Complete package. And complete death trap.





Mini is my all time favourite car.

[dj_ender]

Drop in a B16/18 and go to town!

[owequitit]

Ariel Atom...

[Straight Success]

@ $40,000.

[mayberry]

Its not me that does it wrong its the DSM community.

I'm just talking price for parts even though its the exact same engine and car with different stamping on the parts. Damn chrystler/mitsu.

PSI doesnt mean jack BTW.

PSI has a direct correlation with cylinder pressure and head gaskets blowing..... Is this guy serious? Side note, name another four cylinder car that car run consistent an RELIABLE 8's besides a DSM?

http://youtu.be/3EdQ7HGPxbQ

Countless eight second passes.

[SOHC-FTW]

Awsomeness.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2sVN...eature=related

[toycar]

Its not me that does it wrong its the DSM community.

I'm just talking price for parts even though its the exact same engine and car with different stamping on the parts. Damn chrystler/mitsu.

PSI doesnt mean jack BTW.

Theres some truth to this, but there are also some obvious flaw in some peoples approach.


My approach has proven reliable for me for a long time, my dsm's(all 3 of them) have been running regularly for almost 10 years.


-You have to upgrade the timing belt to kevlar. Its the only way to go.
-You have to replace the hydraulic tensioner as often as you replace your drive belts(alt&serp) and use quality OEM tensioner
-Its important to upgrade to ARP hardware.
-dont delete the balance shaft or belt. Thats silly, thats like running without a harmonic balancer, I cant believe so many people do it.
-Upgrade in 3's, meaning if you get a new turbo, get injectors and a tune as well.
-Recirculate the BOV. Too many people dont do this, and then the car runs rich forever and eventually gives you problems.
-You have to stay up on the regular stuff. Oil changes, ball joints, grounds, whatever. Keep up on the car.
-Try driving it normal once in a while. Its really not that bad.


Dsm's get a bad wrap because generally speaking the people that drive them are more interested in making them faster than restoring them to drive reliable and stay on the road. Also, too many people just buy a boost controller and go. Thats not the way to do it if you want it to last.





Back on topic;


Deeve, check out "LS2 e36" on you tube or google.


You can pick up a 1993 m3 for a couple grand and do the complete ls2 swap for another 5-8k or so if you know how to fab.


German engineering, excellent suspension, plenty of power out of the box with plenty of potential for more-paired with a 6spd tranny and you would be set.

My buddy has an e36 318i sedan with a 6.0 iron block chevy motor that we tt'd. Its badass and handles like a dream.

Also, those year bmw's are sexy as a mofo.

[MikeW]

Ariel Atom...

QFT. But those are expensive, lol.

@ $40,000.

I think $50k should be the limit. Like Scott was saying, it'd cost you $30k, if not more, to get a C5 up to par. So if it can be done for less than $50k, I'd call that cheap.

[Straight Success]

$40,000 is about the price of an Ariel.