Fun car, 10 grand-ish?

I've been driving trucks and sport utes for almost 20 years. I have a nice Titan but I really don't need it as a daily driver anymore. I'm toying with the idea of selling it (say around 15 grand) and buying a fun car for 10-12 and an older F150 just to have a truck in the family (haul the bikes, etc).

So far on a short list is BMW M3 or Z3, Mustang convertible, if I can find one in decent shape a mid-80's 911, or maybe a late 90's Vette C5.

I've done lot's of looking and all of these cars can be found in decent shape in the 10-12 grand range, except for the 911 which seems to be going for more near 15K.

So you have that to spend....watcha going to buy for fun?

Or pass on any experiences with the vehicles listed above.

 

With the 911 you'd better know what you're getting into before you buy. A riot to drive but if you're an "average" driver and you push it HARD, chances are it will bite you and bite you hard. Not to mention the cost of maint.

Me? I'd look at a clean miata or S2000 with the miata winning between the two. It's cheap, cheap to maintain, fun and if you have to modify it, a million go fast parts out there.

 

miata + a V8 droped in could be had for about 10g.

 

If it were me? A 92-96 C4 LT1 vette, the car the haterz love to hate.

 

And a Miata with a V8 can hurt a lot of people's feelings before they even know what hits them.

 

R32 or R33 Skyine GTR or GTST

 

See, I have a hard time with the Miata thing. I know they are great etc, etc, but I can't get past the chicks car image (even though the Z3 is just as bad).

Back to the 911, even though it's probably out of my budget. What exactly goes wrong with an air-cooled flat 6 engine? I've even gone on some 911 forums where they say it is the last of the Porsche's that are actually easy to work on. Or are they just fooling themselves?


OK, here is 2 in my price range. Dave, you know these cars. Thoughts?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1984...8199462?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item20c53f1626

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/PORS...2127060?pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item4ab741ddd4

 

I used to have a Miata, it was a lot of fun to drive. Eff what other people say.

 

I still say Jeep Wrangler.

In any event, send Bitchcakes a pm. He knows the 911 inside and out. He can drive the dog-snot outta one of them too.

 

Who cares about that chick car crap that some people spew? Get it with a manual (preferably the 6 speed) and have fun with it. I'll have one in the next few years.

911 guys are like the dudes who race Ducatis. They only hear what they want to hear and will tell you (even if you didn't ask and don't care) how great it is to race a ducati. Ask those guys how many times they've spun their cars out or crashed because of lifting off the gas in a corner. I bet they all say "none" but I'll bet almost every one of them has. Maint is okay but parts aren't cheap and major work can cost you a fortune.

 

Sorry, but a Miata is a girl's car.

 

Even a bmw 3 series 2 door is fun to drive and not too pricey. M3 is a good bet, the mustang is fun too. What about a last gen nissan 300zx(normally aspirated)? 300zx or 3000gt vr4 twin turbo would be cool too if you can find a nice one.

 

Will do, thanks Dits.

And I had 2 Wranglers over the years. Great machines for sure.

 

Hands down, a B5 Audi S4. Twin turbo, 60r/40f AWD. Easy to make significant HP without a lot of plumbing.

 

I have had several 911's great cars. Check out pelican parts, great forum like this one but for a
Air cooled 911's. Broken head studs and valve guide wear are one of the issues. Fun cars to run jard thoufh, very rewarding.

 

Hold onto your Titan, spend $5K on a bike and $5k on a kick ass vacation.

Or, $10K on hookers and blow, just not the Miata.

 

not so much the car... but the opti LT1 sure can hurt your feelings fast.

 

I used to think that until I drove one. I now own a 2008 model. They are very fun to drive and super cheap to own. When I looked under the hood I saw neither balls or a vag. It's a mechanical tool, kinda like race bikes. I bought it for what it is. A 2 seater convertible that is fun to drive that won't break the bank. There's a reason the Miata is the most raced car in the world.

Oh yea, it really pisses off people in much more expensive cars when they can't run away from you in a series of twisty roads. Yes, the Miata is not a horsepower beast but it never was intended to be. I'd rather drive a slower car fast versus a fast car slow.

 

Not quite sure your meaning, if you mean the optispark sucks I agree. Replaced mine with the MSD billet opti, it was so pretty I hated to bury it behind the water pump.

 

They get real tail happy coming off throttle in a corner, which can be fun if you know how to drive one. Price some parts before making a decision. Historically, the parts are very high.