Suggestions for first car

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samurai10001

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Hello. I just want to know what a good first car for me would be... I will mainly be looking on craigslist and my budget will be about$2500. What I want to do with this car is put an exhaust on it and make it sound somewhat "ricey"... So, what are your guys thoughts?
 
No way will you find a Supra or RX7 (unless it's an FB) that's in anything like drivable shape for 2500 dollars.

Nissan Sentras might be found there, though. That's about the best you can do in the FWD compact market in your price range.
 
samurai10001
I like supras and rx7's but both of those have been hard too
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Ya, like some one already mentioned, no way will you get a working example of those for less than 2500. 240 SX is a good affordable car, but honestly, getting a decent car for 2500 is really hard.
 
xNEVER-ONEx
Ya, like some one already mentioned, no way will you get a working example of those for less than 2500. 240 SX is a good affordable car, but honestly, getting a decent car for 2500 is really hard.
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I'll agree to that statement, around here 240 sx's are a dime a dozen, but not always in the best of shape :guilty:

I have to agree with the guys above about the civic^^
 
If you don't mind, can you tell us what region you are searching, so we can maybe assist you on Craigslist. Promise I will not stalk you :)
 
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xNEVER-ONEx
If you don't mind, can you tell us what region you are searching, so we can maybe assist you on Craigslist. Promise I will not stalk you :)
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Well I might but... How about a 90's camaro
 
$2500 for a sporty car? It sounds like you've got a limited budget, something with poor fuel economy and more expensive repairs will drain money like you never knew possible. Get a 90's Civic or other compact.

Or just ride your bike until you can earn enough scratch for something a bit more :D
 
Cheap, decent fuel economy, sounds ricey with a muffler, and easy to repair...have you considered the early '90s Ford Escorts?

If you'd be willing to step back into the '80s there's always the BMW 3-series from that decade, but those will need work, especially electrical work.

There's also the Saturn S-series, but those tend to burn oil when they get into the higher mileage ranges. That, and they're generally constructed like they were meant to last no longer than 10 years. Believe me, I know. I had one for about a year or so. Not bad but definitely not my favorite car.

There's also the Mazda Protoge.

And, another one to consider is the Eclipse/Talon. My first car was a '96 Eagle Talon ESi and I thoroughly enjoyed it. If you go a bit older the Plymouth Laser is an Eclipse with a different name.

Options are pretty much limitless, those are my suggestions though.
 
If it's your first car getting something like a RX-7 or Supra isn't exactly the best move. Barring you find one trying to insure it for a good price will be difficult and you have way more of a chance of wrecking it.

1st gen Dodge Neon. They are stupid easy to work on, parts are everywhere and you can rice it till your hearts content by going through any JCWhitney catalogue. And when you wreck it you won't feel bad because it's a Neon. Plus you'll be able to repair by going to a junk yard and getting whatever. Oh and the insurance is dirt cheap on them too.

Other then that I agree with the Escort suggestion too, that seems pretty sound. Early Cavillers are in the same boat too, although I'm pretty sure J-bodies are just horrid vehicles no matter what.
 
ozyran
If you'd be willing to step back into the '80s there's always the BMW 3-series from that decade
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+1

ozyran
but those will need work, especially electrical work.
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The key to E30s is finding one in good condition, which can be done for around 2500. Not all those are electrical nightmares; granted I've seen some where the whole dash is lit up like a Christmas tree and practically nothing electrical works in the car; but I've also seen ones where there are zero electrical issues.

Great aftermarket support and a ton of parts out there if you want to mod the car. Comes in 2 doors or 4 doors, auto or manual, cheap parts, easy to work on, quite dependable if maintained, practical, plus quite fun to drive. Depending on how old you are, insurance may get a little pricey though...

samurai10001
What I want to do with this car is put an exhaust on it and make it sound somewhat "ricey"...
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Oh god, please no.
 
Another vote for a 240SX, Civic, or Integra. F-Bodies (Camaro & Firebird) and Mustangs are nice but not necessarily the most fuel effecient vehicles (especially as a first car). Some other cars to consider would be the Sentra Spec-V, and Ford Focus SVT.
 
Crash
The key to E30s is finding one in good condition, which can be done for around 2500. Not all those are electrical nightmares; granted I've seen some where the whole dash is lit up like a Christmas tree and practically nothing electrical works in the car; but I've also seen ones where there are zero electrical issues.
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I believe it. I've heard horror stories about older BMWs (and my mom had a BMW 2002 at one point, great car but it didn't seem to be all "there" electrically speaking) but if a good one can be had at that price, then so be it. One of those could be a blast to drive and still manage 25+ mpg I imagine.

Great aftermarket support and a ton of parts out there if you want to mod the car. Comes in 2 doors or 4 doors, auto or manual, cheap parts, easy to work on, quite dependable if maintained, practical, plus quite fun to drive. Depending on how old you are, insurance may get a little pricey though...
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Bill Caswell took one through the WRC circuit not too long ago and it placed 3rd overall, cost $500.00 to purchase, and was rally-capable with minimal aftermarket support because of the budget he was under. So, I guess I could add that, as you said, they're easy to mod and they're durable enough to handle the abuse of being daily driven :lol:
 
Joey D
1st gen Dodge Neon. They are stupid easy to work on, parts are everywhere and you can rice it till your hearts content by going through any JCWhitney catalogue. And when you wreck it you won't feel bad because it's a Neon. Plus you'll be able to repair by going to a junk yard and getting whatever. Oh and the insurance is dirt cheap on them too. .
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All except bold is true.

Last time I was playing with quotes I tried quoting a 1st gen Neon... It would actually have been cheaper to insure a ZR1 provided you were enough of an idiot to put one on state minimums with no coverage on the car itself (same conditions for the Neon).
 
4cyl, econobox sedan/hatchback. It's all you need for your first car. I have a Toyota Corolla, and the only thing I'd change about it, is having it be a Toyota Matrix instead, so I could fit more crap in it.
 
So I'm 15 right now and I'm basically obsessing about my first car... So I'm pretty positive that I'm going to buy a civic (around 88-92) I also am pretty sure that I am going to get a cat back exhaust at some point. So I was wondering what other performance items I should buy and the order of importance. I realize that this being my first car I should not invest in it but if it is nice, I plan on being very cautious with it and I would probably keep it for at least 3 years. So like I said before, I just want some suggestions about parts to buy and order of importance keeping in mind it's my first car and I'm on a tight budget... Thanks :)
 
88-92 Civic? Rustoleum.

Really, I'd focus on getting it up and running first and checking that the body hasn't rotted away completely. At this point, throwing any mods at the car will have to wait until you can ensure there's enough of a basic car in there to throw mods at.
 
niky
88-92 Civic? Rustoleum.

Really, I'd focus on getting it up and running first and checking that the body hasn't rotted away completely. At this point, throwing any mods at the car will have to wait until you can ensure there's enough of a basic car in there to throw mods at.
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I understand where you're coming from but I have lots of experience with motor vehicles in general. I would not buy a car with out checking it out and my dad defiantly would not let me buy a P.O.S. car
 

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