• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Recommendations on cheap, fun second car?

TrooperFarva

TrooperFarva

Nov 25, 2004
3,244
15
New City, NY
#1
I've been kicking around the idea of getting a second car for weekend drives. Something cheap and fun to drive. By cheap, I mean definitely less than $5000, more like $3500, and by fun, I mean at least a 5 speed, and rear wheel drive.

I've been looking at Porsche 928s and 944 Turbos, but does anyone have any other ideas?

The basic idea is cheap, manual, rear wheel drive, with decent power and good handling. Thanks guys.
 
#3
Car for weekend fun? Have you considered a four wheel drive at all? They can get you camping and fishing into more isolated places, you can go beach driving or rock crawling, get a few mates together and you can have fun getting bogged and out again. Bit pricey on the trips, maintenance and G.A.S. - but worth it IM and the families O.

They're also handy around the house for moving and towing stuff, pulling stumps up etc and they are fantastic for winning car park show downs against Porsches.

Plus the "softroaders" of today (your Toyota RAV4 types) are getting pretty decent off road kit outs too.
 
#4
I don't know if you're really set on rear-wheel, but you can find a Integra (older) for about that price. As long as you have the vTech in there, you're gonna have some pep to buzz around on. You could also look into the RX-7's as they are serious performers, and sometimes you can get an absolute steal on them. The double turbos don't hurt either:D

~K
 
#6
Go for an old porche frome early 80's (at least here they seem to be in your prize range) and apply to the pimp my ride show on MTV... :D

A camaro could maybe also be an alternative.

I don't have much experience on any of these, but I know a saxophonist that has an old porche at home in Sweden, and he says it's a blast to drive and is really powerful. I haven't seen that car, though.
 
#8
IMHO Any older Porsche in that price range would be a bag of snakes. I would have to agree with the Camaro type idea. Easy to work on, fun to drive and not complicated.
 
#10
I don't want a Camaro-type car, I want something small and nimble, that's fun to drive. Basically, as close to a street legal go-kart as I can get.

The other option I was considering is to trade in my car toward an '05 or '06 Subaru Legacy GT 5 speed.

My daily driver is an '05 Pontiac G6, and it's not a bad car, but there's nothing fun about it. So I can either supplement it with a very cheap, fun car for the weekends, or get rid of it, and get 1 car to cover both angles.
 
#12
If you were going to trade in and get a new car, and a Subaru.. I'd go with a WRX! And if you want something really fun any zippy a WRX STI... 4wd, turbocharged and about 300 horsepower right out of the box. Standard WRX's have something like 224 horsepower, also turbocharged.
 
#16
Hmm, perhaps a used Miata? Somewhat underpowered, and you'll get ragged on for driving a hairdresser's car, but they handle like you wouldn't believe. Loads of fun.

A FC as recommended above would be cool, but from what I hear they aren't the most reliable things in the world. Lots better than the FD, but you still better know how to replace apex seals.

240SX's are also excellent. Better power than the Miata, though not quite as nice handling, but still loads better than most cars. For a little more fun, you could go for the KA24DET conversion if you're more on straight-line power, or the much-hyped SR20DET for autocross-type stuff if you've got a little more cash.
 
#18
I used to race autocross. There are all kinds of cool deals to be found at your local autocross event :) Here is my old Ford Fiesta. It would EAT most V8 cars up to about 100 mph. On the autocross track there wasn't much that could touch it. I also ran it in ralleys, poker runs, etc. It had every possible modification imaginable along with some alien technology :) , including an LSD and fully adjustable suspension. About 140 hp in a 1200 lb car :eek: These pics are about 8 years old, that's my oldest Son and my daughter that is...............full grown now :o

neil5a.jpg


neil5b.jpg
 
#20
brianbj46 said:
go for a motocycle man
Click to expand...

I have one. It's cool, but I'm a car man at heart. Plus, around here, drivers are stupid, and a lot of motorcycle riders get killed as a result.

Ray Holt said:
If you were going to trade in and get a new car, and a Subaru.. I'd go with a WRX! And if you want something really fun any zippy a WRX STI... 4wd, turbocharged and about 300 horsepower right out of the box. Standard WRX's have something like 224 horsepower, also turbocharged.
Click to expand...

The STi is out of my price range, but the Legacy GT has the same engine as the STi, only detuned, it's 250HP. It's larger displacement than that's in the WRX. While I'm sure the WRX handles better and all, I still have to think of passenger room and ability to move gear. And I don't want a wagon. So the WRX is out.

labgnat said:
mid 90's volkswagen GTI
Click to expand...

Interesting. I've been leaning towards rear-drive, but I did hear good things about those cars.

AmazingGracePlayer said:
A Porsche for around 5,000? I think not. Maybe around 50,000 you'll find a Porsche that won't fall apart after 2 miles.
Click to expand...

The early 90s porches had fair reliability, as I understood it. Was I misinformed? Sure, they're no Toyota, but I don't expect them to be.

FL Knifemaker said:
I used to race autocross. There are all kinds of cool deals to be found at your local autocross event :) Here is my old Ford Fiesta. It would EAT most V8 cars up to about 100 mph. On the autocross track there wasn't much that could touch it. I also ran it in ralleys, poker runs, etc. It had every possible modification imaginable along with some alien technology :) , including an LSD and fully adjustable suspension. About 140 hp in a 1200 lb car :eek:
Click to expand...

Yeah, thats the kind of stuff I'm looking for. I'm considering a Datsun 510, with some modifications, I think that could be a great car.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back