Fun, Cheap, RELIABLE car

[nismosam]

TT 300zx! I would agree with Taylor on the 350z, but unless it's a salvage title, or rather dented up, it'd be tough to find one under $6.5k-ish. A 240sx also isn't a bad option. Obviously also miata, like everyone else said as well.

[EclipseTurbno93]

Those 300z's are bad ass! I know nothing about their reliability though haha

[Sully]

Good luck finding a zx for cheap and in good shape for under $5k or at all.

300z's are fugly as hell and although I can't speak from experience, I feel like there's no way they compare performance or fun wise to a miata.

I doubt you could find any of the 200 series z's in decent shape in your price

350's at least the first MY's which is what would be anywhere near your price range would definitely not be reliable.

I think this thread might just be trolling or troll bait. Reliable and cheap aren't really in the same sport let alone the same league. Miata, 240sx, Hondas but you'll find the same problem with everything. If you try to buy it for as cheap as possible, it'll probably have issues hence why it's cheap.

Now picking a car that good retail is around what you want to spend is the smart move here. So a $5k miata or honda would probably be pretty sorted and cared for

[EclipseTurbno93]

Reliable and cheap are fine. I could buy a corolla. Done.
It's the fun part that's a bit difficult and no I would not try and buy it as cheap as possible I gave my price range and just wanted to see what people thought and if there were things I have been overlooking. Dunno about trolling.

Thanks for the advice though. A Miata would definitely be fun!

[Sully]

I said trolling because i feel like this same question has been asked so many times here. I said troll bait because the responses you are starting get seem to already be sending this into a tail spin. Taylor's entire list is kinda what made me think it had started. Im not sure if any of those would be sub $5k and be in good enough shape to be reliable.

[EclipseTurbno93]

Oh, well I haven't been here for those other times lol
And yeah some of those might have been a bit far fetched but I'm certainly not going to go out and buy a car without doing any research besides a forum post, so it's fine by me. I posted on here to get some ideas that maybe I hadn't thought of before and I appreciate Taylor and Sam proposing some different kinds of things even if they're a little out of the range.

Anyone know much about the Impreza 2.5 RS?

[*insertusernamehere*]

There is one more you can add to the honda list if you're okay with fwd. A prelude. 10/10 would happily drive myself. And if you're lucky, as lame as it sounds, you can possibly find a volvo s40 T5 around that price. They were around 7ish a couple years ago. My mom almost got one.

[Senor_Taylor]

It's pretty obvious we have forgone "reliable" when the words "Cheap" and "Fun" were strung together. It's also safe to assume Miata was already thought of since Miata is always the answer. As for my list, anything on there is something that'd be okay if you could find a deal. Always keep your options open and you'll never know what you'll find.

[D_Eclipse9916]

Waiting for the alumni's bad car decisions during college to weigh in. Chapin's 300ZX TT, Tyson's 325is, My GSX, Goodspeed's Supra Turbo, Dave's 240sx...the list goes on. Just know that the bad decisions are sometimes the most fun

[Kaan]

define cheap? K swapped cars are fun. the K swap Miata guys are having a ball.

[JPolen01]

define cheap? K swapped cars are fun. the K swap Miata guys are having a ball.

Unless I'm way behind, a properly done k swap ain't fucking cheap.

[D_Eclipse9916]

define cheap? K swapped cars are fun. the K swap Miata guys are having a ball.

Unless I'm way behind, a properly done k swap ain't fucking cheap.

The illusion of a motor swapped car is that it is cheaper than getting something better. It is not.

[Kaan]

I lead with "define cheap"

im sure you can get into a Miata on the cheap... im sure you can get the K motor and trans on the cheap... SO... doing the rest might cost you

[RawrImAMonster]

As has already been said, you can definitely pick up a V8 4th gen camaro/firebird for under 5k. It will be higher mileage, but both the LT1 and LS1 hold up well past 200k. The only major thing you would have to worry about would be the rear end and used stock ones can be had for cheap. Otherwise, the important parts on those are fairly reliable.

LT1 (pre 98) is definitely doable in the 5k range. LS1 is probably doable with higher mileage. I haven't kept up with prices on them recently. You definitely want the LS1 if you can swing it. A bunch more power stock (they dyno at 300whp, don't listen to GM's official hp numbers), better gas mileage, no stupid bullshit opti-spark distributor.

[D_Eclipse9916]

As has already been said, you can definitely pick up a V8 4th gen camaro/firebird for under 5k. It will be higher mileage, but both the LT1 and LS1 hold up well past 200k. The only major thing you would have to worry about would be the rear end and used stock ones can be had for cheap. Otherwise, the important parts on those are fairly reliable.

LT1 (pre 98) is definitely doable in the 5k range. LS1 is probably doable with higher mileage. I haven't kept up with prices on them recently. You definitely want the LS1 if you can swing it. A bunch more power stock (they dyno at 300whp, don't listen to GM's official hp numbers), better gas mileage, no stupid bullshit opti-spark distributor.

I romanticized LS1 2001 F-bodies for a long time based on my memory when I was 17 and driving one. Got to drive Jake's around, that has to be one of the worst vehicles ever produced in history. The LS1 is BARELY redeeming it to be acceptable.
I have never met a car that I would define the chassis as being a wet noodle, yet the suspension is bone-jarringly harsh.

PASS!

[ScottyB]

You can get a 2000-2004 wrx for under 5k.

no. the only subaru that is remotely viable as cheap and reliable is an outback sport/RS/legacy with replacement headgaskets.

no Z cars. no cooper. no stealth/3000GT :lol: . good lord guys what are you trying to do to this man?

cars that might actually make sense and be fun:
- miata
- fox body/SN95
- FB RX7
- E30

none of these will be fast. all are probably on their 3rd or 4th owner. all will require work to stay reliable, but at that price point they'll be a hell of a lot more trustworthy than anything else you're going to see out there. any of these cars have a pretty much unlimited potential to be fast or trackworthy with another couple grand invested.

Anyone know much about the Impreza 2.5 RS?

i've owned one for 8 years as my daily/rallycross car. they're not fast at all, but pretty fun. nothing you're going to get for $5k is going to be without a lot of hard miles and probably some rust. the 2.5 engine has weak stock headgaskets that you need to ensure are fixed. you will have much better luck finding a similar model outback sport (basically an N/A wagon) which aren't beat on as badly, but also aren't as cool or fast.

personally, unless you intend to rally or drive sideways in the snow a lot, i'd rather have a miata at your age.

[SlimKlim]

Like 90% of these suggestions aren't even remotely reliable. 300zx TT? WRX? Really?

Also I don't think you can even get a clean E30 for under $5k. You don't want to start with a beater because it will nickel and dime you until you're sobbing in a gutter somewhere. You can get really clean, relatively low mileage E36s for under $5k, but it's still a BMW. If you really want reliable cut out anything European and/or Turbocharged. Something with an LS1 in it is probably gonna cost you out the ass in insurance costs, and gas probably won't stay cheap forever.

A Miata is more practical than you think. You can pack the truck and passenger's seat pretty full of crap, Jake got by alright using one as his only car in school. What you don't spend on gas or insurance you can spend on suspension bits to firm it up a bit, or buy yourself a set of dedicated autocross wheels. Nothing. Nothing is more fun than miata on good suspension with bad tires, if I ever got another one I'd have high fuel-economy plastic tires on one set of wheels and sticky street/track tires on another.

Aside from a Miata I would go with the Honda suggestions. Either a 'teg or a prelude. A good FWD chassis is still a blast to drive, and might even cost less in insurance than the Miata. They look good, the hatch style trunk holds a lot of stuff and they're super reliable. Seems like a no brainer.

[Jake]

One big thing beyond straight "reliability" is how easy the car will be to work on yourself. Because we all know that in college, ain't nobody got money for shop time.

Going with that mantra, you need to rule out the 300ZX and Mini Cooper suggestions. Cramped engine bays are no fun.

Miatas are fantastic and don't break much. Easy to fix, good on gas, parts are cheap, really great aftermarket and forum support. Gas mileage is not fantastic given how small it is (23 city, 28 highway is about what I got with mine). Read my build thread (link in sig) for all the details you'd ever want.

You will have a HELL of a time finding a clean E30 325is for your budget. A lot of them have been bought and wrecked, bought and turned into Spec E30 racecars, or died of rust/old age by now. That said, my friend Tian has one that he'd let go for cheap and it'd be a good car if you don't mind a bit of a project. I think you could get his and fix everything for under your $5k cap.

If you do want an E30, avoid the early 318i's and the 325/325e's. I had a 325e (again, link in sig) and granted, mine was a total POS, but even when the Etas run right, they are DOGS. You want a later 318is (89-91 I think?) or 325i/is (87-91). Channing had like 12 E30s and a lot of us have also had one or two.

The E36 platform is at the low point for pricing now and they are arguably better cars to drive than the older E30. Better suspension design, timing chain vs. timing belt, parts and insurance are equally cheap vs an E30, they're safer, and feel far more modern. The M3 is fun but a non-M can be just as fun but cheaper to insure. USDM M3's were not alllll that special. Don't bother with an E36 318i/is, they're slow. Talk to me, DJ, Joey for an overload of E36 info.

I'm also a big last-gen (98-01) Prelude fan if you want/like/can stomach FWD. My one friend had a white '01 and it was a really fun car. Talk to Kaan and the other Honda fanbois though, I think it's the H22A (?) motor and they seem to be notorious for burning oil as they get up in the miles.

The F-bodies are an option, but I put 175 miles on the Firebird that I owned for 10 days and really hated the car by the time I was done with it. You either love them for what they are, or hate them for what they are not. Get an LS1 (not an LT1) and three pedal. The automatic is weaksauce (literally, the 4L-60E likes to blow up).

I'll keep thinking... 240's and Integras are both really fun, and really hard to find clean ones now.

[ispoonwithmugen]

Buy my Miata for 5,000 if this guy doesn't get it this weekend

[RawrImAMonster]

I romanticized LS1 2001 F-bodies for a long time based on my memory when I was 17 and driving one. Got to drive Jake's around, that has to be one of the worst vehicles ever produced in history. The LS1 is BARELY redeeming it to be acceptable.
I have never met a car that I would define the chassis as being a wet noodle, yet the suspension is bone-jarringly harsh.

PASS!

Eh I've driven firebirds for roughly 8 years between the 3 I've had. Now that I can afford nicer things, yeah I wouldn't get one. But if I had to get something cheap and fun, I would sure as hell get another. Better than pretty much anything else you can get that would qualify as cheap/fun/reliable for under 5k.

A 100whp convertible just doesn't qualify as fun for me.