Help me assemble my shopping list! FOUND IT!

[ZfrkS62]

The g/f has a job now and making a healthy salary (12k more than i made last year to be precise) and she's agreed to take the big house payment off my shoulders for a couple of months so i can save some money for a replacement for the Corolla.

The Yota is still running strong, but the starter sticks and requires a beat down on occasion to work, resulting in me getting excited when the car cranks on the first try ( something that shouldn't happen but before you say anything, i'm just going to live with the stubborn thing and not worry about spending money i don't have to).

My budget is going to be about $3K-4k as I'm not interested in car payments and I'd like to start gutting the Corolla for track time sooner than later. Keep in mind that this car is going to be my all purpose car. I don't like having to take the gf's Mazda 3 everywhere we go because it's her car, automatic and it's ass sticks up too much.

Requirements are simple:

1) has to be sporty. If you wouldn't drive it, don't recommend it.

2) rear wheel drive preferred but not required. All-wheel drive is acceptable.

3) no money pits (ie i'm not looking to replace my 240Z right now)

4) I'd like it to be newer than my current ride (1990)


So far, all i've come up with is:

Mazda Miata

Toyota MR-2

Toyota Supra

Toyota Celica All-Trac (co-worker selling a '92 but needs a Cat. )

The RX-7 has come up in conversation, but I don't think I have the will to deal with the issues that come with rotary engines.  Remember, i'm an automotive technician, therefore loathe working on my own car

BMW's in this price range tend to need constant attention and by the time is all said and done, could be $5-8K cars. To find an acceptable Bimmer, I would have to find someone who is desperate for money.

So crank up those thinking caps and help me out

added to the list:

Nissan 300ZX (Sameerrao, DMF)

BMW E30 (DMF)

[danidmas]

Since you're so into beemers... I thought you'd pick a BMW straight away. The Miata sounds like the best choice: cheap to buy, cheap to run, cheap to maintain. That's the one I'd pick... 

[sameerrao]

What about a 300ZX? I figure you can get a 1990-92 NA version for that price. You can get a much newer Mitsubishi 3000 GT also.

Both cars would be roomier than the Miata and have better storage space

[DMF]

300zx NA would be a good buy.. I'm sure you can also find a good E30 within your price range as well.

If you're buddies Celica All-trac is in decent condition, I'd hop on that too.. quick car, rare too!

As for an MR2, I had a '91 Turbo for about 5 months. The engine ran great, fastest car I've owned yet. Only thing was, the front suspension was shot, making it a pretty exciting ride.. It was car I always wanted growing up within a family of Toyota's.. it was cool that I actually did get one, but it just wasn't practical for me AT ALL. Even though I'm single and don't really need to carry lots around, there were lots of times where I needed a 3rd passenger, etc. I feel like it was one of those things where it was better in my mind than in real life.

[ZfrkS62]

Mitsubishi 3000GT is out. Unless it's the twin turbo, they're pigs. Chrysler's V6 is also not that reliable at higher mileages. If they aren't blowing head gaskets, they're dropping valve seats.

The 300ZX is a possibility though.

E30, the only one i'd jump on is the M3. 325is is a possibility, but it would have to be a late model.

I have competition on the Celica. A couple of other co-workers are considering it as well.

[Guyon]

Wait a sec, you have a 240Z? Have you posted pics of if yet? 

[TNT]

WRX!!!

[ZfrkS62]

Wait a sec, you have a 240Z? Have you posted pics of if yet? 

HAD a 240Z.

1972, Orange. Hideously 70's interior had to sell it before moving to Louisiana in '04, it just would have been too much for me to take care of at the time. I plan on getting another one some time in the future, but it's not in the cards right now.

[brembo]

Got to say Audi of course...

Audi A4 1,8T quattro should be in your price range, great engine runs strong, can take abuse, ALOT of aftermarket parts if you fancy more bang than what just a chip makes.
Nice to drive, kind of roomy compared some of the other cars mentioned, it is sporty, nice interior.

It should do what you want it to do imo, weak things on them pre 98 or something like that the multilink are a issue most are replaced by now on extended warranty, besides you get a set of everything for about 400 US  or something like that...other than that not many issues from my experience...

[ZfrkS62]

for my price range i doubt there is going to be any Audi's on the market that aren't out of the 80's

[brembo]

What are the prices on the 1,8T A4 in the US?

I tought prices where lower over there than here...hmmm

[ZfrkS62]

looks like between 10 and 12k

[regele]

I'd go for the Miata  if the fact that it's a 2 seater isn't a problem.

[sameerrao]

looks like between 10 and 12k

Ought to be less for a 1.8T/2.8. The trade in value of my S4 is approximately 10K now

Edit - here is the kbb trade in value for a 70,000 mile A4 - $5600 for a good condition car.

[ZfrkS62]

After 5 months of saving and feeling like this was going nowhere, the car fund has cleared 4k. Craigslist has been a let down, but one car kept popping up again and again. I'm not too excited about it just because I don't really want to excited about something i'm still not 100% sure on. That and any hint of excitement is like telling a salesman "I want to pay more than I have to for this car."

Thursday, I am taking a 97 MX-5 Miata to the local Mazda dealer for a buyer's inspection. My test drive was cut short due to a sudden misfire, but the short burst I got out of it, made me smirk. Part of me is hoping that something comes up and I don't like what they tell me, and another part of me wants my stint in the Toyota to be over.

I've found a small handful of E36 325is examples but they're either automatics, or have been turned into science projects of some unspeakable kind. So, I've been forced to look at the used car lots that populate their selections by picking up the wholesale cars from actual dealerships. Either way, pickins are slim unless I want to wait another month to save up another grand .

 

[spanky]

its only another month... I reckon if you can wait 30days to get a better car, its worth the wait zfrk

[DMF]

Don't bother with a E36 325is.. no where near as fun as a E30 325is. Even the E36 M3 I test drove before getting the 944 S2 felt boring.

Miata is probably your best bet. But keep looking, ya never know.

Use this site: http://www.autotempest.com/

It will pull searches from all auto classifieds, including eBay and Craigslist. When I was shopping around (before finding the 944) I would put in my price limit, select manual transmission and see what came up within a 50 mile radius. It's a good tool, but also drove me insane. All I would do was refresh the search results every other hour.

[ZfrkS62]

Don't bother with a E36 325is.. no where near as fun as a E30 325is. Even the E36 M3 I test drove before getting the 944 S2 felt boring.

Miata is probably your best bet. But keep looking, ya never know.

Use this site: http://www.autotempest.com/

It will pull searches from all auto classifieds, including eBay and Craigslist. When I was shopping around (before finding the 944) I would put in my price limit, select manual transmission and see what came up within a 50 mile radius. It's a good tool, but also drove me insane. All I would do was refresh the search results every other hour.

The only problem with that site is, that 3 of the sites IT searches don't screen out the automatics.

[stradale]

MX-5 sounds like a great car! I have never driven one, but everyone keeps raving about the driving experience and even if half of it is true it is a brilliant drivers' car. I'm curious as to what the dealer's inspection will reveal... Keep us posted!

[ARMAN]

I like the facelifted mx5 just saw one today and thought that it is such a beautiful car, cant really say that about older mx5 i am sure its blast to drive thou any luck to get 2nd gen for money you've got to spend?