Jump to content
SAU Community

Recommended Posts

Hey guys,

I'm just about to put up my 91 sexcel for sale - i got it to learn a few basic mechanics with, which I did, I used the car to play around with at a short course at Tafe and fixed a few basic things here and there, but some of the parts were too expensive and common sense dictated to not waste money on the expensive parts when I would see 0 returns back and wanted to change cars soon anyway!

I've saved up a whole lot more cash this time around with tons of work, and got UP TO 5k as a budget for my next car (anything less will be even better!) more money will be spent on the car as time goes, but for the short term the budget is 5k.

I also no longer have a need for a daily car since I now get to use an auto hyundai accent for that (my sister is moving to melb so now i get to use her car too thumbsup.gif) - some of you guys may have seen me planning to replace the sexcel with a LPG falcon or something similar at some stage.

I'd love to get something that will be good fun on the tracks - obviously for 5k im not going to be able to pick up anything too special, but I want to start basic stuff on tracks like the tuning days and drag days, and i'd love a car i could be able to work on a little bit here and there and see some decent gains

Main criteria:

Cheap to modify (not like an n/a skyline where 10kw = $1000 lol!)

Something that will be good fun on the tracks

Easier to work on

I've been car hunting (as usual) and seeing what other people have done with similar amounts of money.. and these are the sorts of cars im looking at!

"hot hatches" - i just classify these as well normal cars that can go alright, FWD (doesnt really bother me, im no drift king), and i quite like them since their going to be quite economical and reliable etc. only thing is they dont quite have the excitement (purely based on looks etc) of some of the other cars im considering.

EG honda Civic

Nissan SSS Pulsar

Twin cam corollas

"classics" - i love older cars, and these would be a great project and i could learn even more, only hesitation is that looking at other builds of these, they do get quite expensive and not too sure about the reliability of such an old car

Datsun 120Y(i see a real great condition one in perth for 2.5k atm!)

Datsun 1200

KE corollas

Japanese 80s - i think i would get decent performance out of these, but cant say i know much about them. the main issue is they use up a fair chunk of my budget!

MA60/70 Supras - ive seen a few very nice looking ones in perth for around 5k for the ma70

honda integra

honda prelude

R31 skyline

What does everyone else think?

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/376648-fun-cars-for/
Share on other sites

  • Replies 204
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

about the only car I reckon worth getting for $5K will be a AW11 MR2. you should be able get a supercharged one for that money too (I think) and they are a great fun car. mid engined, supercharged, RWD, if you're lucky you'll even score an LSD etc.

plus like any boosted car you'll get much more gains modding it than anything NA.

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/376648-fun-cars-for/#findComment-6007574
Share on other sites

Question number 1, are you aloud to drive turbocharged car?

If so, grab R33 Skyline, they're cheap as chips these days, save up a bit more for better condition.

Piss easy to extract power, great chassis despite what people say, they're comfortable tourer. Easier to work than GTR or R32.

R33 gtst for $5k is doable.

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/376648-fun-cars-for/#findComment-6007659
Share on other sites

nice suggestions guys! thanks :)

I had no idea I could afford cars like the ae101 levin or the aw11 mr2! those are great cars.

in regards to turbo/supercharged, yeah WA has no turbo laws on P platers, so I don't mind getting one, i'm just a little concerned about insurance premiums, but I could always just go for 3rd party I guess.

Haven't been able to find any half decent 33 for 5k though, only auto non turbo ones in that price range in WA at least (our cars seem to be alot more expensive)

for the datsuns/ke corollas - is there anyway to make them half decent without spending a fortune? i was looking at another thread in here of someone who got a 120y and he was looking at spending 5-6k before even putting a new engine in!

their probably my favourite car out of all them in regards to looks, but Im just not too sure if I could afford to spend the amount of money it seems to need.

but basically out of my previous list the best cars would be the civic or the prelude?

the civic seems like a really good option, theres tons of things to do to make it fast, the car is cheap and economical .. my only problem with it is that its just not as "special" as the other cars mentioned

what are everyones thoughts on the Supra?

and with silvias the only ones I could find in perth that are relatively affordable are the S13s?

I was looking around for an S12 they look great, but couldnt find one around

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/376648-fun-cars-for/#findComment-6007786
Share on other sites

S13 silvia !

- Cheapo boost tee

- Chop springs

- Drop off exhaust at front pipe, leave remaining exhaust piping for "stealth look"

- Weld diff

- Hack saw shifter and reglue gear stick with "shoe glue" for that short shifter feel

- Wack on a bunch of JDM stickers

win????????

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/376648-fun-cars-for/#findComment-6007810
Share on other sites

the problem is any turbo silvia for $5k is barely worth owning. and they are a turbo car that will need expensive maintenance and gear. R33 skyline is a great choice but personally I'd call it a $10K budget car not a $5K car.

check out the AW11 MR2. with just an oil cooler, good brake pads, a cheapie exhaust and a bit of boost they make a fun track car.

but yeah the civic is probably your best bet. there is nothing wrong with that either. they can be made to handle perfectly well an as far as power goes even NA they get along pretty well. with more time and money sky's the limit power wise with plenty of 600hp+ turbo civics around.

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/376648-fun-cars-for/#findComment-6007827
Share on other sites

here's an AW11 on ebay currently at $2500 asking for $5500 buy it now. could probably pick something like that up for around $4000-$4500 and have some cash left for insurance or your first bit of maintenance/mods.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Toyota-Mr2-AW11-/280735833107?pt=AU_Cars&hash=item415d28dc13

in fact there's even some non-turbo and turbo SW20s that are almost in your budget... still I'd go for an AW11 with your budget as they are a tough little 1.6 and a beautiful engine.

Link to comment
https://www.sau.com.au/forums/topic/376648-fun-cars-for/#findComment-6007839
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now



  • Similar Content

  • Latest Posts

    • Cheers. Skyline is back on the menu, can’t get rid of it. It’s like a child you don’t want, or herpes 
    • I got back to Japan in January and was keen to get back on track as quickly as possible. Europe is god-awful for track accessibility (by comparison), so I picked up a first-gen GT86 in December just to have something I could jump into right away. The Skyline came over in a container this time and landed in early January. It was a bit battered after Europe, though—I refused to do anything beyond essential upkeep while it was over there. The clutch master cylinder gave out, and so did the power steering. I didn’t even bother changing the oil; it was the same stuff that went in just before I left Japan the first time. Naughty. Power steering parts would’ve cost double with shipping and taxes, so knowing I’d be heading back to Japan, I just postponed it and powered through the arm workout. It took a solid three months to get the car back on the road. Registration was a nightmare this time around. There were a bunch of BS fees to navigate, and sourcing parts was a headache. I needed stock seats for shaken, mistakenly blew 34k JPY on some ENR34 seats—which, of course, didn’t fit—then ended up having the car’s technical sheet amended to register it as a two-seater with the Brides. Then there’s the GT86. Amazing car. Does everything I want it to do. Parts are cheap, easy to find, and I don’t care what anyone says—it’s super rewarding to drive. I’ve done a few basic mods: diff ratio, coilovers, discs, pads, seat, etc. It already had a new exhaust manifold and the 180kph limiter removed, so I assume it’s running some kind of map. I’ve just been thrashing it at the track non-stop—mostly Fuji Speedway now, since I need something with higher speed after all that autobahn time. The wheels on the R34 always pissed me off—too big, and it was a nightmare getting tires to fit properly under the arches. So I threw in the towel and bought something that fits better. Looks way cleaner too (at least to me)—less hotboy, less attention-seeking. Still an R34, though. Now for future plans. There are a few things still outstanding with the car. First up, the rear subframe needs an overhaul—that’s priority one. Next, I need to figure out an engine rebuild plan. No timeline yet, but I want to keep it economical—not cutting corners, just not throwing tens of thousands at a mechanic I can barely communicate with. And finally, paint. Plus a bit of tidying up here and there.  
    • Nope, needed to clearance under the bar a little with a heat gun, a 1/2" extension as the "clearancer", and big hammer, I was aware of this from the onset, they fit a 2.0 with this intake no problems, but, the 2.5 is around 15mm taller than a 2.0, so "clearancing" was required  It "just" touched when test fitting, now, I have about 10mm of clearance  You cannot see where it was done, and so far, there's no contact when giving it the beans Happy days
    • It's been a while since I've updated this thread. The last year (and some) has been very hectic. In the second-half of 2024 I took the R34 on a trip through Germany, Italy, France and Switzerland - it was f*cking great. I got a little annoyed with the attention the car was getting around Europe and really didn't drive it that much. I could barely work on the car since I was living in an inner-city apartment (with underground parking). During the trip, the car lost power steering in France - split hose - and I ended up driving around 4,000kms with no power steering.  There were a few Nurburgring trips here and there, but in total the R34 amassed just shy of 7,000kms on European roads. Long story short, I broke up with the reason I was transferred to Europe for and requested to be moved back to Japan. The E90, loved it. It was a sunk cost of around EUR 10,000 and I sold it to a friend for EUR 1,500 just to get rid of it quickly. Trust me, moving countries f*cking sucks and I could not be bothered to be as methodical as I was the first time around.
×
×
  • Create New...