Thinkin' about buying a shell of a car at a junkyard, and seeing just how cheap I can put together a performance ride. I'm also looking to try and develop some of my body-work skill so I can fix a few small blemishes my current car has picked up (wish people would be more careful with their damn doors in the parking lot... asshats)

Basically, I want a frame and to go performance parts for the whole damn thing. Between a salvage title and not telling the insurance company the entirity about it's capabilities will help keep things cheaper in the long run, but all in all, I'm still looking for the car!

Car's shell would be optimal between 50 to 250 bucks. Something 1990 somethin' as I'll need to be able to find parts for it...

What I'm looking for:

A. MUST have TONS of available parts. Hunting for specific parts for my GT is getting harder. My old Impala is damn near impossible.

B. Cheaper performance parts would be cool. Thinking of going domestic with aftermarket suspension. I'm not looking for old-school muscle, as I'd like to keep the ride light... gotta make up the fuel economy somewhere.

C. I'd like something that comes stock with a 4 or a 6... but will handle a V8. (Insurance will show V6 or V4). A good V6 would be acceptable though.


I know everything is kind of pointing towards a mustang, but I'd also like kind of a sleeper. I'm gettin' followed by our neighborhood police force out here in this tiny hamlet... I haven't been able to open up in awhile! It's starting to piss me off!

Japanese side, I'm lookin' for maybe a '95 Honda Prelude... but Honda's parts are damned expensive. Thinking of trying to build "Car by Ebay", but I'm still not sure about going foreign for this project.

IDK why, but the first car that comes to mind is a 90s supra...

I'm thinking Dodge Stratus. Those are a dime a dozen and have a little larger engine compartment.

Well.....Domestic or Foreign. I know its not a V8 but the Chevy Cavaliers and Pontiac Sunfires from 95 and newer will accept a 3800 series V6 bolt in. That motor isnt anything to sneeze at - they churn out 215 to 230 horsepower stock and there are supercharged models you can pull out of Bonnevilles and some Buicks.

I dont know anything about domestic cars that have the space for a V8.



PS > Not to be picky but it would be I-4 not V4. The 4 cylinder is arranged inline. The new Chevy 5 cylinder would be an I-5 and some 6 cylinder cars are also inline as well (older vehicle, usually trucks but I believe a couple years ago Chevy did the inline 6 thing again also).

Quote: Originally Posted by BigAkita I'm thinking Dodge Stratus. Those are a dime a dozen and have a little larger engine compartment.

Akita, I had a friend who owned a Stratus. I'm not sure they have the amount of performance parts I'm looking for. They also don't seem to corner well due to their size, but I'll admit, I'm basing my opinion on a low-end stock model, with stock suspension

Get a 1st gen Probe GT. They're turbocharged and can run 14's and 13's for dirt cheap. Although parts for them are rather expensive because of their association with Mazda unless you go to a junkyard.

Or you can get a GT body, strip and gut it and drop in a V8, someone on ProbeTalk.com named Fallguy has a 3.0 Supra straight-6 with custom chassis and RWD in his. pushing somehting like 600hp. It's gonna be one insane car when it's done.

Prelude or Integra around '95 in your price range is out of the question, the engine core alone is worth what you're looking to spend. Even if you could find a straight frame minus the engine, it would probably cost more than 250 bucks. As would most anything most people would want to sink money into.

So say you do find a Stratus, Grand Am, Crapolier or something that you can pick up for a song. And you sink 3 or 4 grand into a long block and the same in suspension, wheels and tires. You'll still end up with a slow crappy handling ride.

And honestly Dave, not trying to rain on your parade, but do you have any idea what it takes to get a V-8 into a car not designed for it? I put a Impala SS engine into a stock Impala coupe and even though both cars came stock with a V-8 it was still a huge PITA. And I had a garage and all the tools I needed and my father and grandfather helping me out. Both of whom made their livelyhood as mechanics. I've seen a LS1 shoehorned into Miata's, Datsun Z's and RX7's, but you could buy a new 'vette for less than the cost involved.

If you really do want to tinker about with a car and want good gas milelage, pony up the cash for a 'lude, Integra, GTI, Celica, etc. If you want a screamer with tons of upgrade parts/options buy any LS1 (Camaro, Firebird) car ever made. There is also lots of info on how to drop LS1's into older cars.

Hell, just do what I'm thinking of doing. I'm looking at the Charger SRT-8. 425 HP off the showroom floor? Oh yeah.

0-60 in 5 sec and 60-0 in 110ft with a 165 MPH top end...WoooHoooo! and just in time for the boys to borrow Pops car....Way to go DaD! ..I take it you'll be chaproning...

Quote: Originally Posted by BigAkita Hell, just do what I'm thinking of doing. I'm looking at the Charger SRT-8. 425 HP off the showroom floor? Oh yeah.

dude---foxbody mustangs-------find them anywhere. you could pick up a 4-cyl for 500 or below that runs and drives. i mess with these cars all the time, parts are readily avalible, cheap and theres alot of companys that make them. hell my garage is full of foxbody mustang parts and 5.0 parts.

the other one that is easy to find parts for is jeeps...........enough said there

Quote: Originally Posted by AntiM Prelude or Integra around '95 in your price range is out of the question, the engine core alone is worth what you're looking to spend. Even if you could find a straight frame minus the engine, it would probably cost more than 250 bucks. As would most anything most people would want to sink money into. So say you do find a Stratus, Grand Am, Crapolier or something that you can pick up for a song. And you sink 3 or 4 grand into a long block and the same in suspension, wheels and tires. You'll still end up with a slow crappy handling ride. And honestly Dave, not trying to rain on your parade, but do you have any idea what it takes to get a V-8 into a car not designed for it? I put a Impala SS engine into a stock Impala coupe and even though both cars came stock with a V-8 it was still a huge PITA. And I had a garage and all the tools I needed and my father and grandfather helping me out. Both of whom made their livelyhood as mechanics. I've seen a LS1 shoehorned into Miata's, Datsun Z's and RX7's, but you could buy a new 'vette for less than the cost involved. If you really do want to tinker about with a car and want good gas milelage, pony up the cash for a 'lude, Integra, GTI, Celica, etc. If you want a screamer with tons of upgrade parts/options buy any LS1 (Camaro, Firebird) car ever made. There is also lots of info on how to drop LS1's into older cars.

AntiM, I should have mentioned, I'm looking for something that doesn't run, preferrably the engine is out of the vehicle as it'll save me from havin' to pull it.

I'm thinking V6 is probably IS going to be my world... I know for my 3kGT, throwing a V8 motor in there takes a shoehorn, a damn miracle and a lot more metal fabrication than I know how to do...

I know it's a project. I have a garage these days (well, not a mechanic's garage), my tools are still in ND (dammit), but I'm heading that way to pick 'em up as I'm a lot closer these days than when I was in Phoenix. I know I'll probably still put a small fortune into just tools that I don't have...

I'll also mention what I know about sensors and how they relate to the car's computer isn't something I know a lot about yet... I'm thinking this project would be a hell of a learning experience.

I know it'll take money to put together. I'm thinking it'd be cool to build a kick-ass ride, without having to worry 'bout car payments if I was "between jobs" for a month or two (as when I move it takes a little bit to find a new job). I just wouldn't be able to buy parts that month.

My other idea is just to tweak the ever-lovin' crap out of my old 1970 Chevy Impala... I already own it, but it'd take me roughly $800.00 JUST to get it to run enough to put it on the ramp to tow out here (tires, battery, gas, oil, and a bunch more 'cause it hasn't been started since 2001). I guess I could winch it up onto it... but it needs a HELL of a lot of TLC.

I'd love to rebuild that car, but I don't think it'll ever corner like I want it to... and the insurance on a V6 is kicking my ass with my "under 25" girlfriend on my contract... a v8 will seriously make life miserable (one of the reasons I'd love it to show "6" or "4" on the insurance).

Quote: Originally Posted by ZENNZZO 0-60 in 5 sec and 60-0 in 110ft with a 165 MPH top end...WoooHoooo! and just in time for the boys to borrow Pops car....Way to go DaD! ..I take it you'll be chaproning...

That would be Mom's soccer ride. It's time to lose the Caravan anyway, it's got over 90K on it now.

Dark, anything from GM would work for you. You can find a lot of them in the junkyard with plenty of parts to choose from.

For what you want to do, I'd take a serious look at the mid eighties GM G-bodies. Monte Carlo's, Buick Regals, Olds Cutlass etc. These cars are plentiful, meaning lots of cheap parts and can be totally tricked out with a huge assortment of aftermarket parts. And they were produced in both V-6 and V-8 versions. Decent handling can be readily upgraded to very good handling and they are most definitely sleepers.

how bout an old VW beetle? they're cheap, easy to find, easy to work on, and there are a lotta parts avialble for em. u can't put a v8 in one but u can get a good amount of power out of a built up aftermarket engine or a porsche spyder engine. heres aome interesting links:

http://www.gex.com/mainframe.htm
http://www.chrisvolkswagen.com/
http://www.socalook.com/socalook.shtml
http://www.vwstreetrod.com/vwstreetrod/index.html

another option is an early 90s miata. u can buy one real cheap and u can get a v8 conversion kit to drop in a ford 302. there are also a lotta parts out there for miatas. heres some miata links:

http://www.v8miata.com/
http://www.gomiata.com/
http://www.miata.org/cmt/bsp/default.asp
http://www.miatamania.com/Home.aspx

Quote: Originally Posted by BigAkita I'm thinking Dodge Stratus. Those are a dime a dozen and have a little larger engine compartment.

We had a dodge stratus once....
97 2.5l V6....Autoshift....all the toys...
It ate a late 80's mustang of the light and for close to a mile before the stangs overdrive kicked in....
They look awesome with body kits....
Just don't molest it with that big ghey spoiler...
Good call Ba...
Digi

Ahem......*cough*Honda Civic Si*cough*

http://www.clubsi.com/featured/siracer/siracer.shtml

Get the hatchback version though

heres what i bought this weekend. a '93 5.0...............oh ya!

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Well it's a little older than you are looking for but why not consider a Chevette. Yes, stop laughing for a moment. My one buddy has an early 80's, rear wheel drive chevette with a small block v-8 in it. That thing pulls out from a dead stop like god himself kicked it in the trunk. The chevy monsa and the early chevettes share the same front subframe. The monsa spiders came from the factory with a v-8 under the hood so putting a small 283 v-8 in the chevette is an almost drop in motor swap. It's a great project because everyone knows there are millions of chevettes that junkyards will virtually give away for free.

neon........ opps did i say that??????

i know it doesn't make sense.......

oh well......i tried

Quote: Originally Posted by Kiyusoma neon........ opps did i say that?????? i know it doesn't make sense....... oh well......i tried

*shrug* Lotta mopar fans around here. I like my neon. I've got a plymouth, with the sohc engine thats a heluva lot more reliable than the dodge version that ate head gaskets.