Budget build thread

See, I thought about getting a BMW or something similar because god they're amazing, but I don't want something like that to happen to me.

Now I'm stuck deciding which poorfag car to get.

A mustang

...

Here's your (you), go shitpost elsewhere

I have pretty negative connotations with those, but what makes a mustang so good? Which year?

Get a celica. Camt speak for older ones, but i have a 7th gen and even without pushing enough to get lift to kick in i can do 0-60 in around 7 seconds.

I'm very likely going to go with this, or an integra.

How many people can you fit in a celica?

>Bought 91 Acura Integra for 300$
>Building it bit by bit with overtime pay, but planning to use the B18A1 in it and build it for turbocharging, have been collecting parts for awhile while I fix the rest of the car.
>Interior stripped out for cleaning, stuck right now because for some reason nowhere in northern NC has any fucking dry ice for me to use to remove sound proofing tar.
>Found a good deal on some Enkei 92 wheels in 15x8 +25 and some 245/40-15 Hankook Ventus
>Still need to find third brake light assembly and 91 GS specific door cars because I love the 90's feel of dat tweed.
>Nobody wants to sit and talk with me while I work on my car, wish I had a garage buddy.

Damn, if I was in NC I'd be your garage buddy, user.

I used to hate most all imports, especially the ones you usually see riced out, but I gotta admit, I have a soft spot for integras, especially the early 90's ones for some reason.

>going to look at a '92 Integra DA 5spd tomorrow with 200k miles, sound system, alarm, and decent suspension for 1500

any legacy with a turbo or 3.0 engine.

I can only find the outbacks near me, and even they only have 4 bangers.

DA Integras don't really carry the stigma of hella sick vape mawds stancebro like most Hondas, maybe due to their age or something. They get rather overlooked for rice tax, and they're genuinely pleasant little cars to own and drive.

Maybe that's why the one I'm checking out caught my attention. It's nice. The dude said the front rotors are new but need to be adjusted, and to be honest, I'm not sure what the hell that means.

I think an E100 with another good powered 4 cyl engine and proper suspension set up would do fairly well for autocross or even rallycross

toyotanation.com/forum/135-corolla-lounge/181441-common-engine-swap-guide.html

He might've forgot to shim the pads or seated the rotors improperly. Conversely, when the fluid is low on the DA's with ABS, the pedal will pulse very similar to having warped pads. Just some stuff to look out for. If anything, the DAs have the same pads, rotors, and calipers as the gen 3 Integras if anything needs replacing, and a DC Integra master cylinder is a nice upgrade.

Thanks for the tips, I'll see what he meant for sure tomorrow when I go check it out. Looks fairly nice, though. Is 200k a lot of miles for one of these?

One the engine, no. That is about the hard limit on the stock clutch, but replacing literally every single wear item on the car will be like 1000$ in parts. Definitely check underneath the passenger footwell carpet, there is a seal underneath the cowl for the heater core that will leak with age, same goes for the tail lights. But the footwell leak can cause problems for the ECU, as well as a nasty smell.

How long would it take to change a clutch? I've never done it before. Never done anything involving a transmission other than changing the trans mount in my truck once.

On these cars, maybe 3-5 hours if it's your first time doing it. You'll put the car up, take the wheels off and undo the axles from the hubs, and then drain the trans of fluid. Undo the shift cable and reverse light hookup from the top, and then undo the trans mount (slowly!) to allow the motor to rotate on the other two mounts. You'll need to remove the battery and air intake tube to get clearance. Put something under the tranny, (it's roughly 60 lbs) and undo the starter and bolts. Now you can either have the old flywheel resurfaced, or just bite the bullet and spend another 80$ for a new one instead of the 45$ to have the old one machined. Use the supplied positioning tool to put the clutch back on, torque the bolts to spec and remember the throw out bearing too. Doing the rear main seal is always a good idea too while the tranny is down. The rest is reverse of disassembly.

Get a bmw with NA I6 engine that wasn't treated like shit

I'm pretty fucking far from rich and that's what I did, couldn't be happier. I do my
own maintenance (except for tranny work but they're solid too), these I6 engines barely need anything, they'll run forever if you take care of them.

Get a fukken Honda. Like, take a dartboard and tape a bunch of different Hondas from the '90s on it, and throw a dart. Get whatever it hits. I personally recommend a late '90s Accord, like a '98. If you find a 4cyl with a 5-speed, you can have a lot of fun and be more comfortable than you would be in a Miata or Sentra.

The trouble with BMWs is everything else connected to that I6. It doesn't even matter the year, I've seen Phaetons more reliable and less costly to fix than some 5-series Bimmers out there from the mid-00's.

Ehh like I said you gotta find one that wasn't beaten up and had a good owner. I know that's not exactly easy but it's really worth the search, they're great cars and you'll be glad to maintain it once you start driving it.

Most expensive thing I had to do so far were coolant hoses and water pump ($350) these go bad every 80k miles or so, not a big deal imo.

I commonly see one-owner BMWs that still have significant problems, even when well maintained. A lot of the I6 Bimmers I've dealt with just naturally run rough. Could be how they're driven, what with their weird throttle response. But hey, if you're having luck then more power to ya.

That was also a likely plan if this integra doesn't look so great in person.

I wouldn't mind that option. Maybe I'll look into it more. What are common problems on these things?

One owner and with significant problems? Man that's either bad luck or the one owner beat the shit out of the car.

I've had 2 5ers now and both have run perfectly, only issue was the cooling system but like I said that's to be expected and not hard to fix. I hope someday you find a solid one so you can get in on the fun. If not, well I hope you find a nice car anyway user.

What sort of problems caused by what?

The only real issue that pops up consistently is the cooling system. These I6 engines like to run hot so the coolant hoses go brittle around 80-90k miles. Around this time the water pump might also go bad on you. Altogether it cost me $350 to fix so not a biggy considering how long they take the abuse. The main things to consider are: can you pay for full synthetic oil and a mann filter every 5k miles? Can you replace your own spark plugs at 100k miles? If you can do the water pump and hoses yourself it's even better but it shouldn't cost too much to have an indy do it. Even if you can't do the oil yourself (apartment, no jack, etc.) you can buy it and pay pep boys $20 to change it.

Also the transmission fluid and filter will probably need to be replaced at 100k (again, not expensive and you only need to do it every 100k)

From my experience, these cars will run for a long time as long as they get their maintenance done. It is worth it though man, you'll want to maintain it when you see how fun and comfy it is.

BMW master race

Which models should look at?

Depends, what do you like? I really recommend NA I6 3 and 5 series, they sound awesome and are easy to maintain relative to the turbo ans V8 models

So, something like this?

I've never had a car. I've only owned trucks and SUVs. I'm almost positive I'd be happy with whatever vehicle I get, so long as it doesn't butt fuck me with repair costs.

inlandempire.craigslist.org/cto/d/96-bmw-e36-328i/6275871861.html

That looks decent, good price too. It shouldn't need much other than the routine maintenance if the owner took care of it.

An e46/e92 would be even better but it depends on your budget.

This is good too although the price is really low, makes me suspicious
losangeles.craigslist.org/lac/cto/d/2004-bmw-330i/6287292057.html

My only thing with that, is that it's automatic. I'm pretty dead set on a manual for some reason.

Manuals are kind of hard to find so it narrows down your prospects but they are more fun. I say go take a look at that car you posted, take it for a little drive and see if it feels okay. If not keep looking, definitely don't rush when it comes to picking the perfect bmw.

I'm sort of in a rush though, because my truck broke down on me and I have no vehicle.

My sister and her husband agreed to front me the cash for a used car, so I'm looking for the best bang for my buck.

Definitely love BMWs, but if I can't find a decent priced one in good condition, I might have to kiss that idea goodbye.

I say go check out that 328i man, he says he has proof of maintenance and all the important stuff has been replaced recently. Just ask him if you can drive it around the block or something, show up with the cash so he doesn't say anything. That is a pretty good price and you'll have a lot of fun with it.

I hit the guy up, to no reply. I'm hoping though, cause man that thing looks comfortable.

Good luck with it man, I hope he answers and you end up with a comfy fun car to daily drive. Only thing I don't like about it is the aftermarket intake (stock ones are usually better) and convertible top (adds weight) but it's a nice car for the money and exterior looks very clean.

dsm

It was last registered in AL, and I'm in CA. Any idea what I can expect from the DMV?

inlandempire.craigslist.org/cto/d/lexus-sc400/6290402607.html

Is this a good deal? I figured for the right car, I don't mind settling for an automatic too much.

There'll likely be an additional fee for having it registered under ca jurisdiction but nothing too big. The tax won't be shit because of the low sale price.

Technically, 4. The back seats dont get much leg room though

gs400
ls400

The engine can take a beating so you can still drive it fast without worry, assuming you don't get one that's fucked.

>bought the car for $1200
>wheels
>tires
>coilovers
>twm short shifter
>custom built intake which just means I ordered cheap Chinese shit that ended up being for another car and I had to build it to fit
>k&n filter
>2.25 side exit straight pipe held on with a bracket
>clear corners and 50/50 tails
>some plastic roof spoiler that I cut to fit with a dremel
>gutted trunk and rear seats because it's my work slut and not a people mover
Probably about $3500 into it. It will do 0-60 in just about 6 seconds so I'm not mad.
That sticker on the rear window isn't for show though. I'm honest about what this car is.

OP here, my budget is now about 2500, and now manual is preferred, not required. Any ideas?

What engine?

Vq30, only engine they came with

1987 Nissan 300zx (Z31). Bought for 1800 in 2010.
NA2T swap to 85 garret T3 turbo, and other turbo model components. Fidanza aluminum flywheel, south bend clutch, billstein shocks, ST springs (lowered 1"), 30% tint, MSA 3" catback, CM performance 3" downpipe, sound system, NRG steering wheel, cobra mustang wheels, and more to come.

Turbo wiped its bearing, so its sat for the last 4 years. Now I'm free from military service so its time to wrench again.
in boxes: ebay 2.5 in intercooler with piping kit, autometer gauges, BOV, DSM 450cc/min injectors, N62 Maf

I want to have the garret rebuilt to a t3/t4 and install the 450cc injectors and run Nistune and put down some real power. If I blow the motor, then I'll drop in a vg33 instead and keep all my aftermarket parts anyway.
Also though, I could spend the cash on 1000cc/min injectors now and run e85... I imagine I could see 400hp/450tq on a t3/t4

z31 guy here. I imagine you could pick up a 300zx at that price range. Most were manual. I would shoot for a turbo model from the get-go instead of doing the swap. Later year turbo models came with LSDs, and earlier year models came with a T3 instead of a T25. Best bet would be a second half 87 turbo model, you get the LSD and the T3.
In any case they are all easily modifiable for more power and are fun cars. They're not light though; the z31 will never kill auto cross like a miata or s2000.

are you sure that's not the vg30e?

I can't find any of them that aren't piles around me, sadly.

Going to check out a 2005 Scion tC tomorrow, any thoughts on this?

Im getting a Mazda protege5 soon, jdm engine 97kmiles for $2,800

Inb4 civic

It's a vq30. I'm sure.

Bmw e36

I owned 3 in my lifetime all under 2k. Just go for the ones that have a trashed interior, you can haggle a few bucks of the asking price for that

Integra/rsx
Civic si
Sentra se-r
DSM
V6 Maxima
Foxbody
Turd gen f body
E36
Mk2 to mk4 golf/jetta

Da9 Integra's are decent cars. I had a 93 GS for 5 years as a daily. I beat the piss out of it, and it it took it.

Mine had a JDM b20b, intake, header, de cat, skunk 2 megapower, stage 2 clutch, tokico struts, eibach springs, Dunlop direzza dz102 (205/55/15), poly bushings, and a 19mm rear sway bar. It was a fun car. I was gonna build a b20vtec for it, but a snow plow hit and banged it pretty bad. I sold it a friend that does body work for next to nothing. Now someone else owns it and it has a built lsvtec with a big turbo and makes around 500hp.

Older BMWs have issues with cooling system, electronics, hub bearings, rear strut mounts/suspension. Parts are also expensive.

+For celica.
7th gen looks like fucking trash but are actually alright to drive. I sold mine and got a 6th gen gt-four.
Dont bother with any other 6th gen celicas. The 5sfe engine should be avoided at all costs. Boring af

>7th gen looks like fucking trash but are actually alright to drive

I'd expect that of a Corolla with a body kit