first car.

[blaze15301]

i was wondering since we have some racers and car nuts in here if anyone can recommend a good starter car. the things i want are power and upgradable. when i say upgradeable i mean i want to mod the body and the engine later down the road for more power. it dosent matter weather its a muscle car or a tuner. i just want something nice to work with. so any recommendations on engines, types of cars to look for. also i dont want to spend a fortune.

thanks in advance guys.

also i know its my first car. i shouldn't want or need all of that, but if im gonna do something i wanna do it right the first time around.

[FuzzyPlushroom]

Plenty of room inside and under the hood, reasonably safe, mechanically reliable, available in good shape for around a grand, acceptable stock power and nearly unlimited build-up/swap options, rear-wheel-drive, invisible to the cops, and nice enough that a potential date's folks will probably approve...

...what you want is a Volvo 740/940 Turbo.

I'm not joking, and I speak from experience. (A naturally-aspirated car is a good call, too - slow enough to keep you out of trouble - as is a 240 if you live somewhere where rust isn't an issue.) If you get a wagon, the back seat will fold flat so that you and someone else can sleep comfortably (if you're both under six-foot-two or so).

Of course, this is easiest in the Northeast or Pacific Northwest, where people bought 'em in the first place.

[blaze15301]

that looks like a pretty nice car. now if i can find one under 2 grand around my area. if i cant find that i was thinking maybe a eclipse.

[altec]

I'm fond of the Nissan Maxima's. Performance scene is there. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd gens can be had for cheap, and the VG/VE engines are tanks. 200K on the odometer is just getting broken in... They are like Cummins redheaded stepchild, or something. :p

What are you looking for though? Car, truck? FWD, RWD? Compact, Sedan?

[blaze15301]

I'm fond of the Nissan Maxima's. Performance scene is there. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd gens can be had for cheap, and the VG/VE engines are tanks. 200K on the odometer is just getting broken in... They are like Cummins redheaded stepchild, or something. :p

What are you looking for though? Car, truck? FWD, RWD? Compact, Sedan?

deffinatly car as for the wheel drive i have no idea. i was going to get a nova, camero, older mucle car but cant afford that right now so a tuner is the next best thing.

[altec]

Honestly, for a first car you really should be looking at something simple, that will get you around, and start in the morning without worry. And the ever important mileage.

There is a million choices out there. I suggest hunting around to see what you can find in your area, and researching the specific cars.

For 2k your options are limited, and considering things like tags, insurance, and gas play a role you are limited. A maxima might be the car for you. I have a 89 myself. They have 3.0 v6, and have a ton of power options. And being a higher end Nissan you have a nice car that you can cram 5 people into.

I believe in having the daily beater, and the toy. I am building my toy truck, and am going to tag the maxima for my daily. Better to start with the beater, and save for the toy then the other way around.

[dr.walrus]

first car

power

what an excellent combination!

[blaze15301]

what an excellent combination!

the power will come over time.

[diluzio91]

the power will come over time.

first car + power = big ass ticket... trust me, i speak from experience

[xr4man]

i'd say look at a vw. the 2.0 engines are fun, not too powerfull, but fun. also they handle well. so much aftermarket you won't know where to start. they can be had pretty cheap. the downfall is when the electrical gremlins rear their ugly heads and when the oil light starts coming on at random. that signals the demise that is iminent.

of course you can't go wrong with a nice toyota corolla. also oodles of aftermarket suport for what ever fun level you can afford. you can pick up a geo prizm real real cheap and they are just corollas with different badges. so either one will provide you with major reliability.

now if you really want fun and a learning experience, you could look at the mk2 celica supras. they usually can be had from anywhere between 1500 to about 4 or 5 g's. rust is an issue with them though.

another good choice that would suit your need to get tickets very well is an early (92) lexus sc400. they can be had for as little as 1200 bucks. then you get toyota reliability along with a toyota v-8. the lexus sc300 is much more expensive though because everyone wants the 2jz engine in them.

if you want something to just get around and won't last very long, then a good used cavalier would work.

personally i'd stay away from civics. used ones go for way more than their actual worth and any that you could afford as a first car would be ragged to the point of being not much more than a 1:1 scale model.

don't forget to look at mazdas as well. there really is something to their zoom-zoom marketing. depending on model, they can be really fun to drive.