Still looking for new car: FRUSTRATED =(

[SlamMan]

My list of cars I'm interested in goes in this order so far.

1) 350Z

Tied for second
2G eclipse
EVO 8
STI

I've even considered an earlier NSX. I could afford the car it self but from what I gather they are EXPENSIVE to maintain.

The only thing stopping me from going with the Z is the NA engine. Parts for it so far are expensive and seem to net only small gains. You'll notice all the three other cars are all factory turbos. Much easier to gain some horses without breaking the bank.

So, any input? Any other cars, new or used I should consider?

[Mario]

I think a WRX would be awesome, you can score one for about $18k. AWD, turbo, and when you drop them they look nice and clean too.

That, or perhaps consider a 2.5RS? No turbo, but with all that extra money you'd save, I've seen those things pump out some crazy numbers with turbo drop in. :)

[BlueFang08]

How about a S2000 can find used ones for a good price.

[Mario]

How about a S2000 can fined used ones for a good price.

I was thinking about recommending that, but I dunno how he'd want to deal with RWD with lil torque.

[BlueFang08]

Yeah if it were me and it was gonna be the D.D. i would get something thats AWD if your not intresed in FWD any more. Cause RWD cause expicaly ones with some power suck ass to drive in the winter.

[Skaterkid]

I wouldn't buy the WRX unless it was from an old guy. If you go for an used one and the driver isn't under 40, most likely its been abused.

[SpeedStar91]

The z. Who cares if it is normally aspirated NOW...you can always turbo it later. Plus you'll want to take your time to add mods. Its more fun that way. Plus on styling it looks pretty awesome IMO.

[ryanman]

After riding in Tobi's S200 the other day I'd say check one out, they are fun as hell and fairly fast.

[DrJones]

Acura TL Type S is nice....

[BluByU]

240 with a slivia conversion and a SR20 swap. OR just get the Sti and be happy.

[SlamMan]

I considered the S2K but I'm not big on rag-tops. Besides that I prefer the look of the Z to the S. Not by much though.

My biggest gripe about the WRX and EVO is the whole 4 door thing. If I went with one of those it would be for the pure power potential.

The Z would be fun to boost. It would cost me about $8K though. Since I'm buying a new house this month thats probably not in the budget for a long time. If I do go with the Z I will most likely order a set of 19" Volks before I buy the car. Then I can save a little money for a rainy day (or parts, hehe) while I wait for the rims to show up. I don't like the stock Z rims so it would be nice to be able to slap those on right away.

It's just a bitch to see a $2000 spent on a factory turbo car and make big gains.

[Pang]

STi.

[wild.irish]

2004 TL is really nice, also why not the new Accord? i mean V6 manual, of course.
also if you don't like rag tops, S2000 has a hard-top optional.

[LeonZ]

I would cross out the 2nd gen eclipse from that list.

If I were you, I would get STi or EVO (tough choice, especially with how low you can get an EVO for)

I agree with Robbie, getting a used WRX is somewhat a rish since pretty much everyone likes to abuse those cars.

You can now get S2000 at a decent price; and it's a damn nice car

Personally, I will be looking to get a new or may be slightly used WRX. To me, the 4-door factor is actually a plus. May be because my accord is huge and heavy and it only has 2 doors.

[Skaterkid]

I like the 2G DSM, but again, watch out who you buy it from.

Personally, I would get the Evo or the Z. And I'd give the Z some time, eventually the parts cost will drop.

Since you are thinking about some used cars, why not try for a lightly used (or babied) 300ZX?

[DrJones]

Rx-8?

[CSMsi311]

350z.. still a solid platform. great out of the box

[-=[Juztin]=-]

The Z bro, the aftermarket is there, just need a little time for it to calm down with prices, etc. I can't stop driving around my Z, it's just one of those cars that makes you grin like satan everytime you get behind the wheel :)

[-=[Juztin]=-]

You can test drive mine around if you like, if your not quite sure ;)

[Kwando]

S2000!

[Nick4592]

I love my AWD and turbo....I have yet to regret getting a WRX

[damian9669]

I cant believe no ones mentioned a 3rd gen rx 7 or a fourth gen supra.
Both cars look great.Have huge aftermarket support and can be attained for far less than evo's, 350's or sti's.
If you want the back seat and two doors go for the supra.Its not like its a slouch in the performance department.
320 horses and 300 pounds of torque.
If you want a lighter car and two seats only get a rx-7.
255 horses and 217 lbs of torque.
if these two dont interest you how about a 300zx or a toyota mr2 turbo?
all great platforms and much cheaper.
As far as looks though the rx 7 and the supra are far better choices in my eyes.

[Mark_H]

Thats an easy choice, STi all the way.
PM me if you want to get the best deal in the state on one.
Mark

[Canuck]

I cant believe no ones mentioned a 3rd gen rx 7 or a fourth gen supra.
Both cars look great.Have huge aftermarket support and can be attained for far less than evo's, 350's or sti's.
If you want the back seat and two doors go for the supra.Its not like its a slouch in the performance department.
320 horses and 300 pounds of torque.
If you want a lighter car and two seats only get a rx-7.
255 horses and 217 lbs of torque.
if these two dont interest you how about a 300zx or a toyota mr2 turbo?
all great platforms and much cheaper.
As far as looks though the rx 7 and the supra are far better choices in my eyes.

:werd:

With the money you save you could also get a pretty nice daily driver too like a used maxima or something.

[ShervRacer]

I think a WRX would be awesome, you can score one for about $18k. AWD, turbo, and when you drop them they look nice and clean too.

That, or perhaps consider a 2.5RS? No turbo, but with all that extra money you'd save, I've seen those things pump out some crazy numbers with turbo drop in. :)
i have the company saved in my fav list somewhere... for all 2.5RS model subarus... they have a twin turbo kit able to push max 400hp....


i am going for a Spec-V sentra with the help of my father this summer. He likes it... i like it... we both agree on it and i could make monthly payments on it... i originally wanted a WRX but after he test drove it he wouldnt help me pay for it... so i cant afford it... hehehe

ohh also a RX8 is nice.. i like it far more than the Z. the rx8 has 4 seats so you can enjoy the ride with friends in the back :D
heres some pics of my friends new rx8.... his father bought it in cash for him... my friend is 26 and this was his birthday present... my god it drives like a dream.
http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0TwAAABgYzsERJJq0Wg5UIaHqAozts4PfZUtSjuNhr!5VFtqhZ g4jbLTQHgNHVDBSv3n9S9BLx6w1AYHLWK!WFVbnK0plIIwVYrm BHeqRXV!WGq0He5Ochw/Cannon0014.JPG
http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0TwCvAhYYRsERJJq0Wg5UIZJSzFQCSGEIRYP9iTXxDZ1hZFEqw ZUWsGI9mSkzwPfoSw5dvQADSPm4vAZx5Ctqip7PuL1wxlET0gX P5KGJeOqQsHksIPkUtA/Cannon0012.JPG

[monicle]

Those Infinity AWD G35 oupes are pretty money looking with the wheel and wero package. They are a bit pricy though.

[V8SpankR]

The RX-8's engine problems still haven't fully been resolved so maybe a year or two into the new generation they'll have the bugs out of it and more ponies,say MazdaSpeed Version.

[SlamMan]

Those Infinity AWD G35 oupes are pretty money looking with the wheel and wero package. They are a bit pricy though.
They are yet to release an AWD G35 coupe. If they did the decision would be made.

The RX-8 is nice. I really like the looks of it. I'd be gunshy to buy one after Mazda way over rated the engine.

[Prelude97]

I say get the Z. My dad has one and its so much fun to drive. My car is even faster in a straight line than his is and i would still rather drive the Z. I cant imagine what i boosted one would be like.

[Kwando]

if i can sell my S2000 and make som $$ from it i will get an Evo for the price that Xtreme Racer got approved for.

[David]

Rx-8?
:werd: after watching the Top Gear review the rx-8 sounds pretty good.

[damian9669]

Id say save up your money and wait a little while.Things may get even more interesting in the next couple of years.Supercharged rx8's,possible 4th gen rx 7, a 5th generation supra and a stateside r35 skyline are a few things that have been talked about.

[Ashton]

Get the Z man..... its sexy, reliable, and a chick magnet.... oh..... and they make a TT kit for it.

[damian9669]

Get the Z man..... its sexy, reliable, and a chick magnet.... oh..... and they make a TT kit for it.
the z is nice but youre biased.just like im biased towards 3rd gen rx7's.
But seriously 7 grand for a twin turbo kit for the Z ? Thats just too much man.
He could get a twin turbo supra for way cheaper.14 or 15 grand for a tt supra or 35 grand for a twin turbo 350 z.Thats a 20 grand difference.With 20 grand he could buy another car or hell even another supra and still have money left over to modd them.Think of the kind of power you can get from a supra with just 3 mods.With a downpipe,catback and intake the car is almost at 400 horses at the wheels I believe.Plus the engine is low compression versus the 350's which is high compression.So you cant even turn up the boost past 6 or 7 psi without blowing your motor.

[Mario]

I agree - the Z is nice... but you are a crazy biased person. :p

Original poster: go with whatever you are feelin... have you test driven them all?

[R33BusaMan]

I've got a '97 GST convert. for sale, for 11k or best, only has 47.5 miles, and a 10 disc cd in trunk. Looks and runs perfect, really don't drive it enough to keep it...

[RiceBurner00]

Get a newer Trans Am

Faster than a Z and you wont look gay driving it 8)

[Canuck]

Could always buy my RX7 plus a daily driver :)

[Ashton]

I've got a '97 GST convert. for sale, for 11k or best, only has 47.5 miles, and a 10 disc cd in trunk. Looks and runs perfect, really don't drive it enough to keep it...

bah you had to bring back an old thread... but anyways its only a month old.... anyways...... the Z can safely run 9 lbs of boost with some small tuning and lower compression to 8.5 and get the stroker kit so you have a 4.3L VQ and yeah.... have fun =P

[SlamMan]

Still leaning toward the Z

[Dustin]

STI or EVO....

Nothing against Z's, but if you want to go fast...STI or EVO.

[Bedlam]

STI or EVO....

Nothing against Z's, but if you want to go fast...STI or EVO.

amen brother dusty..!

-Bedlam

[Dustin]

amen brother dusty..!

-Bedlam

You spend the money for a Z, then bolt on an 8 Grand TT kit, and hope it is reliable.

Or you buy and evo spend 1000 bucks and have 320 WHP.

[-=[Juztin]=-]

The Z community is HUGE for only being a year and a half old. The parts needed for serious power are already out there, you just gotta put some work into it :)

[-=[Juztin]=-]

I'd run the greddy, even at 6.5psi ~350rwhp & ~330rwtq is not too shabby. But it looks like the fueld pump is at it's limit at that level, so after replacing the pump, I'd run 8psi - 8.5 daily. 420+ would be more than adequate to keep me happy while I'd save up for the serious stuff. :D

[~redlinels1~]

the z is nice but youre biased.just like im biased towards 3rd gen rx7's.
But seriously 7 grand for a twin turbo kit for the Z ? Thats just too much man.
He could get a twin turbo supra for way cheaper.14 or 15 grand for a tt supra or 35 grand for a twin turbo 350 z.Thats a 20 grand difference.With 20 grand he could buy another car or hell even another supra and still have money left over to modd them.Think of the kind of power you can get from a supra with just 3 mods.With a downpipe,catback and intake the car is almost at 400 horses at the wheels I believe.Plus the engine is low compression versus the 350's which is high compression.So you cant even turn up the boost past 6 or 7 psi without blowing your motor.
My friend installed all of the mods plus a manual boost controler and was running 398rwhp. Not sure if you could reach 400 with those mods without running more boost. Whether that is true or not i dunno...im just speaking from first hand experience.

[Dustin]

If you were going to build a rear wheel car, an LS1 or "GASP" even a mustang would be a better bet than the Z.

Ok, you so make 420, 475, 500+WHP on a Z. First we know the transmissions are not the greatest. Second, when you make that kind of power you start breaking shit. After you spend $$$ to figure out a transmission solution you will end up with a GM powerglide. Once that is done you will start breaking cases, gears, LSD units in the rear end. Then you will end up with 9" ford because that is the only thing that won't break. anyway you see my point, you then have a supra, which has a great engine but has to use 30 year old detroit parts to be reliable.

We didn't even mention the usefullness of four doors and AWD.

[SlamMan]

STI or EVO....

Nothing against Z's, but if you want to go fast...STI or EVO.I love the STI and EVO but for whatever reason I'm not big into the 4 door "sports" cars. I've spent plenty of time looking at both but never could talk myself into it.

I still wish the Z was turbocharged. I know everyone will say Nissan didn't do it so they could keep the price down. Would it really have been that much more expensive to build and warrantee the Z if they would have used one of the turbo inline 6 engines that they put in the Skyline or the Sylvia?

How are Mitsubishi and Subaru offering an AWD turbocharged car for the same relative price as the Z?

I've owned enough American cars to know I'm not interested in buying any more. Just a personal preference.

Driving the fastest car out there isn't my biggest concern.

[-=[Juztin]=-]

I've heard of grinding gears and experienced it myself, but I havent yet heard of a tranny giving because of too much power but I'm sure it has its limits. The car I would consider a true test of the oem parts is the Smithtown nissan and those crazy bastads running that 375 nos shot on it. Yep they blew their motor running a single shot, but the stage did fine. The tranny has not given yet. The differential, yeah that worries me so that would get replaced.

The only advantage I could see to having 4 doors or AWD, is carrying more girls and driving in the snow. Do I intent to drag my car, probably not. I would rather have the power on tap for when I feel like it. AWD, great for corning and launches, but I do like to do burnout's and drift easily.

I will definately go aftermarket with the diff, as for the limits of the tranny we will see. Now I'm not gonna go do a ghetto thing like putting a 9" ford rear end or anything like that, that's just plain stupid.

There's already stronger diffs, clutches, tranny's available. Like the limiting factor is, you can make any car fast, it just takes the all-mighty dollar. Would I argue the EVO/STI/SRT-4 cost more to mod up? Of course not, I like all those cars, but the car for me is the Z. I prefer to stick with the import scene cause I believe the scene provides way more awsome looking cars than what is available domestically. I love the Z's looks, and I stare at my car every morning, not to mention I drive it too damn much. It's all what someone likes, you wanna bash the car go for it, or argue practicality. I could say light your mouth off all you want as I frankly don't care, the car makes me happy, has huge potential, and it aint dissapearing anytime soon. I just have to exercise patience in build the car up to a beast, my goal is 600rwhp, and in a few years I think I'll be good :)

[celica man]

get the evolution MR(it will probably be called the evolution ralliart when it gets to the u.s.)

[stu]

Dustin was being serious about the Ford 9 inch rear-end. Anyone who is a serious drag racer uses that rear end.

[-=[Juztin]=-]

I know, but I'm not a serious drag racer so not quite my cup of tea :) If the R200 breaks, I'll swap in a R230, if that broke, well I guess a C-12 would need to go in (j/ken) :cry:

[Bedlam]

I think the Z is a VERY cool car..but the dollar/fun ratio just doesnt seem right at this altitude for me. Besides that..I go SO sick of seeing them while I was in Cali..I know the STi is kinda "trendy" here..but I saw only 2-3 STi/Evos when I was there...vs like a billion Z's.

Hell..I saw more 240 conversions (and one real Silvia) in Cali then I did Evos.. :)

-Bedlam

[damian9669]

I would say that the best bang for the buck would be a supra.Afer that it would be a evo 8.Dont get me wrong.I love the looks of the z myself but the cost is just too high.Of course if you are hell bent on getting a turbo z might I suggest a 300 zx twin turbo?