What would be your project car on a budget?

  • Thread starter Thread starter IMADreamer
  • 53 comments
  • 1,575 views
I

IMADreamer

Messages
354
I am at work and bored. I have to be in the office until noon then I get to go out and actually work so I thought maybe it would be fun an interesting to see what everyone would do as a budget project. Let's say you get 15,000 USD or your countries equivilent to buy your car and any parts you want to do. Assume you can do all the work yourself even if you can't that way your shop bill is zero and there is more money for go fast goodies or cosmetics, which ever floats your boat.

I'll post mine up later after I have some time to think about it and get my parts list in order.
 
I'd probably import sth from Japan, maybe a Hachiroku (Toyota AE86) in this price range. With a drifting setup and stripped down to one racing seat.
A nice muffler without catalyst from Tanabe or sth like that, some money put on the engine, better clutch and brakes...
 
I'd probably go for a Chevrolet Camaro, as they are pretty much a dime a dozen, and parts are obsurd when it comes to how cheap the prices are.

I'd probabler go for a late '70s or early '80s Z/28, say an '81, as you could pick one up in decent shape for a little more than $2000 on occasion. First things first, were getting rid of the old 350 and dropping in a decent crate engine for about $5000, then we are swaping out the old TH700 (I think thats what they were using at the time) for a new TKO500 manual for $2500. From there, it is mostly small additions. New wheels and tires, maybe thow disc brakes on the back, and call it a day.
 
Yeah, Iroc-Z Camaro or Fox-body 'Stang. I might try an old X-body Nova build-up, too.
 
Am I right this is assuming we're using the car for track days and not every day driving? If this is the case, does the car have to be (or remain) road legal?
 
I'd make myself either a VTEC Mini or a Twini (twin (bike-engined, in this case) Mini). No, wait, stick with the VTEC, it's cheaper. £8,000 would go on the engine (an old donor Honda, preferably a wrecked one with an intact engine), a cheap Mini (I have a spare one, so I'll use that - no money spent there), new panals and full restoration, tailormade interior, sticky tyres and anything left will go on modding the engine.
 
Either as Roo said a Mini, maybe with a small V6 in the back, that would be sweet.

Or perhaps an imported Nissan 300ZX. A teacher in school has got one of them and he loves it. I'm sure a suspension change and some tyres would give good results.
 
rolling Golf 4motion chassis with drivetrain, no engine.. and shoehorn 5l V10 twinturbodiesel in the middle of the car.. :trouble:
 
Being a self confessed Mini nut (the original, not the Bini,) I'd have to go with that theme. I've always wanted to build a kit car so to combine the two I'd go for a Mini Marcos (see avatar).

Mini engine and suspension. Parts are dirt cheap if you know the right places or don't mind shopping around, I can get what I consider the ultimate fully adjustable suspension set-up for around £4000 but I've spent decades and probably more money than I should have in the pursuit of tuning Mini engines but I'm pretty sure I can do a decent engine for around ten grand. :sly:

And yes, I would do all my own work, I've never driven a Mini I've not rebuilt myself.
 
$15,000 is quite a bit to work with actually. I probably wont have time to answer this until tomorrow since I am about to leave work in 12 minutes. Answer these and I will reply tomorrow when I come in.
When you say build the car. How do you mean build it?
1. Road track/ autocross car???
2. Drag race car???
3. Rally car???
4. Show car???
5. Daily driver to have fun with??
 
I'd look for a relatively low spec second-hand Caterham, should be able to get one and have some money left over from the $15,000 budget for tyres maybe. Wouldn't want anything too powerful/quick for a first time track car, plus it'd be road legal.

Some people are shooting far too high, no way you're buying a donor car and a Ferrari V8 or turbo diesel V10 for less than the equivalent of $15,000 in your country.
 
Something along the lines of a '91 Cadillac Sedan DeVille, probably.

I'd probably do the basic stuff, like intake, exhaust, strut brace. I'd get rid of the interior and a bunch of other stuff in order to save weight. I'd do some kind of ridiculous bracing in the trunk, and an engine brace. After that, I'd dive into the big stuff, like quad throttle bodies off of a Honda CBR600RR into a custom plenum (wink wink nudge nudge), then a 5 speed manual transmission swap, aerodynamic work, and a full racing suspension.
 
15k USD that's ooh, £8k GBP, not much because any decent performance cars within that price will be well used and abused, generally speaking. I'd probably just spend the lot on a TVR Griffith with as low mileage as I could find and leave it stock since it's fast enough as it is. If it breaks down I still have a peice or auto porn on my driveway :lol:.
 
Mini, V6 engine, mid-mounted, rear wheel drive. Sorted.
 
I'd get a bone stock 85-91 FC RX-7 and get me a good ole 20B might turbo it but I'd lean towards an NA 20B. The rest wood be towards RE-Amemiya goodies, tranny, suspension etc. I'd leave the outside stock looking too.
 
GTRacer4
Mini, V6 engine, mid-mounted, rear wheel drive. Sorted.
Click to expand...
I knew a lad that had a Mini almost the same as that but it was a flat 6 not a V6, can you guess what it came from ;).
 
A flat-6 would be pretty sweet, more compact too! :D

993 Turbo engine = :drool:
 
GTRacer4
A flat-6 would be pretty sweet, more compact too! :D

993 Turbo engine = :drool:
Click to expand...
It was indeed a 993 flat 6, it wasn't a turbo one though, he kept saying any more power than he had = not good in a car as small as a Mini.
 
Low End:

Miata MX-5, Suspension and make it breathe.

High End:

NSX-R with suspension upgrades and air flow upgrades.


Realisticly: All cars in my video games with every mod possible muahaha?
 
Right, 15k US comes to around 24k NZ. Plenty enough.

Datto 1600, in nana-spec white.
S14 SR20det and corresponding 5speed, mildly worked. I'd be happy with 200ish rwhp (Reliability=good)
Adjustable suspension.
R33 brakes
Type-R or Evo Recaro's...in black
Mild cage, maybe.
Head unit, 6-inch speakers out front, 6*9's in the back, maybe a 12-inch sub and amp...

Oh, and gunmetallic 17-inch Simmons 5 spokes.

I reckon that would be pretty close to not blowing the budget...or not.
 
87-88 Thunderbird Turbo Coupe w/ T5 5-speed manual transmission

* sequential taillight signals like the old Cougars
* giant Holset turbo (or at the very least the older Turbo Coupe's Garrett T3)
* maybe a Volvo front-mount intercooler, depending on whether or not I get it plumbed for a reasonable price
* Felpro gaskets all around
* Centerforce? (or whatever clutch will hold up to the boost)
* cam
* high-flow cylinder heads (for peak mid-range torque)
* TwEECer R/T engine management
* some sort of electronic boost controller
* bigger fuel pump (either a 190lph or more likely 255lph)
* 3-inch mandrel bent exhaust right off the turbo (w/ a Y-pipe so I can get a "dual" exhaust)...
* a single "high-flow" catalytic converter
* a single Dynomax "bullet" muffler to complete the catback
* a general repair & restore on the interior and exterior (possibly a repaint)
 
I'd take a 2001 DC2 Integra - Type R not required - and install a midships-mounted V6/6MT drivetrain out of the later Accord Coupe. The Accord is about 3-1/2" wider than the Integra, so it may require a little widebody work, but not much.

Add some decent coilovers and a cage, and it would be quite a little trackday beast.
 

Latest Posts

Back