get a RHD supra from japan…they can be had for cheap
OP what experience do you have working with car engines?
[quote]elano wrote:
ProfessorCHAOS96 wrote:
Camaro or nothin. None of that foreign tuner crap, unless you want to fit in, that is.
Yup. The performance to cost ratio is unbeatable. Mustang comes in second 
You can put a small block chevy in just about anything. Unbeatable bang for the buck. Probably the most common engine on the planet.
I have a 3rd gen camaro with a beefed up 350 (actually 383 ci now). It’s hella fun to drive and almost scary fast. Think about that, that’s like 6.3 liters. The biggest motor you have on your list is prob half that. Truth, “there is no replacement for displacement”, the import guys will tell you “except a turbo” but watch how fast you v8 will go with a turbo (just look what kind of motor all the 10.5 outlaw cars are running (most of them turbo v8s).
I’m not saying you can’t make an import “fast” which is a relative term anyways, but if you want to spend less than $10,000 you will want to get a domestic. Just my opinion.
Under the hood of my IROC-Z28…
[/quote]
I concur.
A late 80s-early 90s 5.0 LX is another good option.
I got a V8 In my 1979 convertible Mercedes. ( it came with it )
( My first car - Im 19 )
You guys think I should hook it up? I like going fast, so far only went 105 on this thing,
Says 160 max but could it go faster ? =)
Is a 1979 450 Mercedes benz Convertible V8 - Worth tuning up real nice So it can race like a beast ?
just wondering
Not really, sorry. I mean, you can hot rod it but it will cost way more money than it’s worth.
No need to go over 105. Most cars don’t even go over 105 at the drag strip unless they have serious power.
It’s not how fast it goes, it’s how fast you get there that makes it fun. Like, when are you going to go 120-130 on the street? Prob never, it’s just do dangerous on the interstate. You can however torque it from stoplight to stoplight and that’s safer and IMO funner.
You can make a stock 4 banger pickup hit 150 if the gears are right but it will take forever to get there and it will feel slow. You can make your stock Mercedes throw you in the seat and run like a bat outta hell by lowering the rear gear ratio, however it will prob redline at 80mph.
If this is your first project car, get something simple that doesn’t cost a lot of money to make fast. Small block chevy, small block ford, or consider doing an engine swap on one of the imports.
Oh yeah… Whatever you estimate it will cost… Tripple it, that’s prob what you will end up having in it.
elano, you seem to know a lot about cars, thats cool.
and yeah you right I mostly enjoy the stoplight to stoplight runs and dont think I could go over 120 anywhere, Unless some friends decide to do an illegal sprint around my town then maybe.
but yeah lol I went 105 on a 55 so that was pushing it ( about 1:20am the road was all mine ), felt awesome though, I wonder how it would have felt without the hardtop, my hair would have probably tore off with the wind lol
and OP sorry about getting off topic in Ur thread
Elano said it best. OP what is your experience working on cars? and do you have any experience tuning them?
I am against them thou when it comes to American muscle vs import.
Yes I know the Camaro and Mustang are quick and go fast in a stright line but as I always tell my nascar car friends there are turns everywhere and they are not all lefts. The big american muscle is not good at handling the corners as good as a light weight import but will blow 70% of them in straight line racing.
But that is not to say it does not happen. When younger I spent every weekend at hunts point NY which used to be huge for street racing people would bring all kinds of cars out there from Vipers, Corvettes, and Imports. Best race I ever saw down there was a Z06 Vette vs 1972 Nissan Starlite. The Nissan blew the Vette away and the Vette friend with a Viper back to back it is not many times you see something like that but it is very impressive.
What you need to think about if you want to buy and tune a car is what is the main thing you want to do. You said autocross, Then you need something that will handle very tight turns I am a VW guy and I see tons of VW’s at autocross events but most imports are light enough to handle the tight turns with the correct suspension.
Do you want to drag race. Then the american muscle would fit that perfect get either a Fox body Mustang or an F body Camaro/Trans am. And build away.
[quote]DoubleDuce wrote:
elano wrote:
An rx7 with a v8 conversion.
That is wholly against nature and sacrilegious. And proof you can do anything with enough money.[/quote]
From what I’m told, those RX7 V8s are ungodly awesome… And that’s coming from a die hard Chevy guy who wouldn’t touch anything else.
I’ve always had a thing for the “fox-body” stangs of the late 80/early 90’s.
As far as experience, I’ve got a bunch of experience putting the basic mods in, and working on suspension and brakes. Not as much working with engines as far as head-work and valve replacement etc etc… But it might be worth mentioning that I’m a mechanical engineer and pretty good with my hands.
It’s not like I have $10k just sitting about that I’d dump into a project car right away. I was thinking of (next year) snagging a project car and making mods 1 at a time for a fun thing to do on the weekends.
[quote]B rocK wrote:
I’ve always had a thing for the “fox-body” stangs of the late 80/early 90’s.
As far as experience, I’ve got a bunch of experience putting the basic mods in, and working on suspension and brakes. Not as much working with engines as far as head-work and valve replacement etc etc… But it might be worth mentioning that I’m a mechanical engineer and pretty good with my hands.
It’s not like I have $10k just sitting about that I’d dump into a project car right away. I was thinking of (next year) snagging a project car and making mods 1 at a time for a fun thing to do on the weekends.[/quote]
If the Fox is your thing there are plenty of them out there for cheap and you don’t even have to get the GT if you plan on building it.
Being an Engineer wont help much and if its anything like the few I had worked with when I was a tech it might be a handy cap if you try to analyze how it works. J
Since you are up north, I would look for a used WRX STi and use that as a DD/Tuner. All wheel drive and plenty of available upgrades.
Another car that hasn’t been mentioned that is noteworthy is the 04-05 SRT4 (03 didn’t have the LSD). They have considerable aftermarket support, reasonably priced, and potential for 700+hp. I have a 03 Neon SXT and beat the shit out of it daily and it hasn’t so much as wimpered. Check out 2gn.org or neons.org for more info on the SRT4. (The turbo Cobalt SS also has good reviews as does the MazdaSpeed Mazda 3…but I am partial to the neon based SRT4)
FR cars to consider: 350Z or Vette. Not sure I would want to drive a Vette in the winter though. The Z with some good all season tires and some careful driving and you should be okay.
With that budget I’d say the only way to go is with a 5.0. 87-93 Mustang GT or LX notchback(for drag use). Try to get an 89+ that way if comes with MAF air from the factory.
[quote]UpChucker wrote:
Since you are up north, I would look for a used WRX STi and use that as a DD/Tuner. All wheel drive and plenty of available upgrades.
Another car that hasn’t been mentioned that is noteworthy is the 04-05 SRT4 (03 didn’t have the LSD). They have considerable aftermarket support, reasonably priced, and potential for 700+hp. I have a 03 Neon SXT and beat the shit out of it daily and it hasn’t so much as wimpered. Check out 2gn.org or neons.org for more info on the SRT4. (The turbo Cobalt SS also has good reviews as does the MazdaSpeed Mazda 3…but I am partial to the neon based SRT4)
FR cars to consider: 350Z or Vette. Not sure I would want to drive a Vette in the winter though. The Z with some good all season tires and some careful driving and you should be okay.
[/quote]
You should read my original post. 
Either a Civic or mid 80s GM product.
[quote]UpChucker wrote:
Since you are up north, I would look for a used WRX STi and use that as a DD/Tuner. All wheel drive and plenty of available upgrades.
Another car that hasn’t been mentioned that is noteworthy is the 04-05 SRT4 (03 didn’t have the LSD). They have considerable aftermarket support, reasonably priced, and potential for 700+hp. I have a 03 Neon SXT and beat the shit out of it daily and it hasn’t so much as wimpered. Check out 2gn.org or neons.org for more info on the SRT4. (The turbo Cobalt SS also has good reviews as does the MazdaSpeed Mazda 3…but I am partial to the neon based SRT4)
FR cars to consider: 350Z or Vette. Not sure I would want to drive a Vette in the winter though. The Z with some good all season tires and some careful driving and you should be okay.
[/quote]
All of the car you say here are good cars but for the money he is willing to spend and his wrenching ability now would work very well. And I am not saying he don’t have a clue on how to work on cars but WRX is very tough unless you have experience with the boxter engine.
Get the 5.0 stang then bro, you won’t be disappointed.
94-95 5.0s are pretty sick too. I have one and it’s nice.
Maybe one day yours will be as bad as this is …
or this was…
[quote]B rocK wrote:
I’ve always had a thing for the “fox-body” stangs of the late 80/early 90’s.
As far as experience, I’ve got a bunch of experience putting the basic mods in, and working on suspension and brakes. Not as much working with engines as far as head-work and valve replacement etc etc… But it might be worth mentioning that I’m a mechanical engineer and pretty good with my hands.
It’s not like I have $10k just sitting about that I’d dump into a project car right away. I was thinking of (next year) snagging a project car and making mods 1 at a time for a fun thing to do on the weekends.[/quote]
I suggest that whatever you buy be drivable at the time of purchase. I’ve seen a lot of friends buy a project car that just needed this thingamabob or that doohickey to be drivable, and everyone of them turned into a massive money sucking black hole. Cars are an expensive hobby to begin with no need to make it more expensive or complicated than necessary.