Rep Power: 424

Ok, I’m asking this question with a bit of semi-seriousness. As some of you have realized by now, I over research everything, so the fact that I’m looking into something now so that it can potentially happen next year should come as no surprise.
Basically, when I graduate, I’m looking to get a “toy car”. You know the ones I’m talking about… the one you only drive when you feel like it and its nice out. Well, rather than just buy a new one, I want to buy something I can fix. Now sure, I’m going to get help and not do the things I know I cannot do, but there’s just always something that’s appealed to me about buying a hunk of **** and making it new again. The questions basically start as, can someone recommend me to some kind of book or publication that offers good sound advice about what to look for and how to go about it? Obviously the rules of common sense apply, you need a body in good enough shape that the body shop can do something with it, a straight frame, and it helps to have a motor that runs or can run with minor tuning up. Things like bad upholstery are things I wouldn’t consider an issue, I’m just thinking from a level of mechanical importance. I know I have lots of learning to do… but you have to start somewhere. I’ll save the problem of specific technical information until I can find an exact car, its just the basic matter of what the hell to do with a 40 year old car to get started on the way to getting something you want to drive again. BTW, I’m not looking or planning on buying an American car…so let’s forget the parts problem I’m going to have at the moment. I’ll deal with that if and when it happens and figure out what the hell to do.

PS- I don't intend to build a show car. I see no fun in trailering it around to polish it and let the paint fade in the sun. I also don't intend to build a race car (this may be surprising). I have no plans on doing this as an investment. I intend to spend money to have fun, not spend money and let someone else drive my car. I just want a basically stock restored car that people look at on the road and say "dayum thats nice"

 
Rep Power: 380

Spencers List of Really Fun Cars to drive.. (that may or may not need to be fixed up)

1. 89 Civic Si (Sub $3000)
2. 97 Miata, Preferably the "R" Pacage ($3,000-10,000 Depending on condition)
3. Datsun 240/260/280 Z car (70-83)
4. E30 BMWs (325s, or if you can find on the old M3) Between $5000 for the 325 to $15,000 for the M3
5. 79-85 RX7 (sub $3000)
6. Mrk 1 MR2, Supercharged or not (sub $5000)


ect ect ect.....

 
Rep Power: 396

I had a Mazda B2000, i think it was a 84. My friend and i were going to chop off the top, fix the body, paint it met blue with silver scallops, tilt the bed, and put air suspension in it. Things didnt happen the way we planned...and the truck was in too bad of shape to do anything crazy to it, so we got rid of it....One day when I get older, I am going to buy an old hot rod, and fix it up....Chop it, channel it, section it and put a huge super charger sticking out the front.

 
Rep Power: 368

Me and my brother are buying my dad's 94 teg soon. I know 10 years isn't THAT old, but the car is pretty beat up, and we wanna make a serious street machine out of it. Right now I'm shavin the front bumper (no more "A" logo holes or even the "INTEGRA" indentations, yay Bondo-Glass), just picked up a set of bumper and headlights. She still needs:
- fenders (old ones both rusting)
- driver's door (mom hit a parking lot light post)
- suspension (just need an excuse to slam it)
- engine (leaks everywhere, no longer smooth, and it's a B18B! I want my VTEC dammit!)
- weatherstripping

Thinkin about the infamous auto->manual tranny conversion, or maybe just turbo it with a more reliable non-VTEC engine than what we have right now.

 
Rep Power: 0

I dont know if you realize but American Cars are probably cheaper somewhat to fix up cause they have a lot of companies making repo parts. I never heard of comapnies makiing reproduction parts fora foreign car. You do realize its not cheap to do this right. It will cost about double to do it yourself rather than buying one already done. Tips would be to get a good body,motors and such arent as expensive as bodywork. Try this pick a car and look up parts for it (fenders,hood,floorboards) or even the rear quarter. Parts may look reasonable but remember if you intend on paying someone to do bodywork its expensive. Example I had a 71 Nova and it needed rear quarters. The quarters were 2-3 hundred or less but to get them installed it would have been 1500 - 2500 bucks and that doesnt include painted quarters just primed. Add another 5000 for a awesome paintjob and another 3000 (or more) for a kickass motor. These things add up quickly, especially the little things (trim, chrome). And interior isnt cheap either especialy if you want original my friend is trying to buy original bucket seats for his nova he found a pair on ebay for 800 that still needed to be recovered. $125 for carpet,$125 for a headliner.

Hope this helps a little.

 
Rep Power: 380

Just a few more... British this time

Triumph TR6
If you can find one... Sunbeam Tiger (Built by Carol Shelby!)

Back to Japan
Toyota Starlett. The last Compact RWD car Toyota made.
an 88 CRX (Lighest of the last gens)
an Mazda RX3


My top 5 would be...
1. Miata
2. Starlette
3. 1st gen RX7
4. CRX
5. Sunbeam Tiger (Its a dream)

Not in any Particular order


with in your specs... the top 3 would be

1. Sunbeam Tiger
2. Triumph TR6
3. Mazda RX3

 
Rep Power: 368

I agree, if you're restoring an american car there's plenty of repro parts out there to fix 'er up to look like OEM (although the hardcores can and will call you out on replica parts). But hey, if it runs fast and runs reliably and looks good, who cares, right? Fixin up any older foreign car to stock will run you tons, more so if you have to take it places to get work done. Grab an old pony and go wild, I say. My gf is tryin to buy an old Nova wagon....plenty out there for that.
Lucky for me, everyone and his gramma and his gramma's lesbian lover have DC2 tegs and they're moddin them like mad, so I'm gettin their used OEM parts on the cheap, and it's a great way for me to learn bodywork, engine, and electronics. Yeah you heard me, I'm swappin the engine myself! If I somehow end up crushed under the car, please bury me in my EL.

 
Rep Power: 380

Ya, Definitly the RX3.....
Get the coupe.





The 4 door looks ok, but the Coupe... thats the cool one.

 
Rep Power: 380

Heres the Sunbeam Tiger...


and the Triuph TR6

 
Rep Power: 424

Well, British does me the right way. We used to have an MG-B. I'm sure it wasn't the greatest, but they're not expensive, and the damn thing looked real simple. Maybe I can find the GT model if I get lucky.
I'd really love to buy a hunk of a Ferrari 246 or 206, but I can later see myself on the phone with some guy in Fiorano saying "IT COSTS HOW MUCH FOR A ______________???", Or having to deal with 3 Weber carbs.

 
Rep Power: 359

get this kit car: The Attack


[img]


It is 16 to 17 g's

It uses a B series or H series motor.

for more information.

http://www.euroworksltd.com/TheAttack/

 
Rep Power: 481

I actually have a project car that I'd like to start working on if I can get any kind of time, garage space and money to work on it. It's actually my first car I started driving and I'd love to restore it.

The car was (is) a 1982 Pontiac Phoenix. The bastard child of the Chevy Citation. It was such a pimp car. Bench seat up front. Comfy back seat. Four-door hatchback. I loved it.

Unfourtanetly it's sitting behind my dad's gun range, pretty much just sitting there and kinda rusting away. I'm hoping to get some money together and try to find parts for it and start working on it. I think it'd be a fun little project. The engine bay looks big enough that I might be able to stick a small block in there and convert it to rwd.

 
Rep Power: 380

The old Z cars can be fun and look pretty good when fixed up...

 
Rep Power: 412

Yeah a nice 1st gen 300zx


or a 1st gen Mazda RX-7

would be hot.
Maybe a 1st gen supra?


Fiat spyder?


Porsche 356?


I think the chrysler conquest is hot

 
Rep Power: 304

my friend has a dead fiat in his garage, we were joking around about fixing it up. is there a large market for fiat parts?

 
Rep Power: 481

If you can find one, an 82-84 (I think that's the years) Corolla GT-S, aka AE86. Should be relatively cheap to fix one of them if you can find one. And with you being an AutoX *****, that should be a fun little car to go screw with too.

 
Rep Power: 328

Might I suggest a 323 GTX? Extremely light and rigid chassis, turbo B series motor (turbo version of the Miata motor), and AWD.

Honestly...one of my dream cars.

 
Rep Power: 332

No F'in way I had a 84 mazda B2000 SE-5 before the vic. I loved that truck. it was my first car, well truck. I miss it. I see them around every once in a think about how I sholdn't have gotten rid of it. It was a piece, but after putting a tint on the shell and some larger tires and rims, a sound system, it was looking tight. For a older truck.

those 80's supras were pretty tight. when i get seettled down in the near future, i'd like to start a project car, i think it would be fun. I'd do import, but some of the older muscle cars look cool too.

 
Rep Power: 481

I actually saw one of them shows on SpeedTV, Tuner Transformation, take one of these and hook it up for some kinda rally in Canada. I can't remember exactly what it was called, other than it started with a "T". It was a pretty trick looking car I must say.

edit: link to the episode

edit2: In episode 6 they do a 7th gen coupe, and it's owned by a hot chick! I'm definately going to have to hunt around for this episode!

 
Rep Power: 424

Ok, several of you missed a key phrase in what I said... I'm NOT looking for a race car. I just want something that I can drive when I feel like it (read: old roadster). No AE86s, no rally cars, no other econoboxes I can fix from the scrap pile and turbocharge. I said a nearly stock car as a toy. I'm not really even looking for suggestions... just some way to go about this in a logical manner so that the 30-40 thing I buy can be fixed and running. I've got a list of cars in my head already... the problem is how to go about finding a decient one to start with.