What car would you guys reccomend for under 6,000? Something thats fun to mod. I currently have a truck but can get around $6,000, so im thinking about picking something up, doesnt have to be TOO reliable, jsut reliable enough to work and look good



I was looking at some 99 Golfs.....bad idea?

 

Older Civics and Accords are in the price range you want, generally reliable unless they have been abused or service-neglected, and readily adapt themselves to all kinds of aftermarket mods and tuning. Witness, for example, their ongoing popularity with the caps-on-backwards crowd.

Inspect and test-drive any older car you look at carefully, however....that goes without saying. And, of course, don't expect a brand-new car for only 6K.

A few other words of note........I see you are in CA, a state that is notorious for tough emissions standards. Make sure that the engine, either in its present condition or after the mods you plan to make, will pass the emissions test. And keep in mind that lowering the car with stiffer, shorter springs and shocks will roughen up the ride considerably and may or may not improve the handling, depending on how it is set up. And if you put on larger-than-standard tires and wheels (make sure they don't rub the wheelwells in turns), expect some speedometer and odometer error....both will read low. If the car you look at has those features on it now, it may already have more miles on it than the odometer indicates.

 

stay away from older german cars, the maintenance on them will eat up all your mod money! additionally, they're just too expensive to make fast. get a japanese factory turbo car. more reliable and cheaper and easier to make fast, plus easier to work on.
i'm biased toward turbo eclipse's/talons. the have a bad rep for unreliablity but that's usually because people don't do the maintenance on them but expect 400 hp to magically be reliable without any extra maintenance!
i've had several turbo eclipse/talon/lasers, some i've rebuilt from nothing but a shell and always had a great time with them and they never let me down.
the stock engiens are good up to 400 hp, you never even have to open them up. add a fuel pump, injectors, turbo, intercooler, turbo back exhaust, boost controller and some sort of fuel management adn you're there. if you shop around all thsoe parts will cost you about $2000 if you do the work yourself.

 

95+ 240SX SE. Very fun and cheap to maintain.

 

Miata gets my vote.

 

BMW E30 for 3k, put in another 3k for suspension, bushing, maintenance, tires.