FE top 5, w $1000. cap!

[larrybuck]

Can be project, but should mainly be 3/4ths ready at purchase: $2,500. total for finished car!

#1 a dented up early '90's Geo Metro: the front, and rear will be homemade streamlined any way, so finding some ugly dents in the right places ok!

#2
any non SI CRX: It may take 2 $500. ones to make 1 good!


#3 mid late '70's Datsun B210 fastback: bullet proof eng., 49 mpg. is possible, ergo for factory seats are bad if you are very tall.

# 4 mid '80's Chevy Sprint: may take 2 cars to make 1 good, but 54mpg. is there waiting for you!


#5 '84-'88 4cyl. Pontiac Fiero: non Gt roofline, stock limited to about 34mpg, but then you add your magic.... great handling, and most parts are dirt cheap compared even to more conventional type cars.



Honorable mention to Ford EXP/ Mercury Lynz, and early American Ford Escorts!

[Arragonis]

I'm going to use a £1.5K equivalent, but mine would be :

1. Original Mini - production ended in 2000 and they rust like a Yugo at sea but there are still a few usable ones on ebay that haven't been converted to a bike engine or a K-series (Rover not Honda) engine. Mine would be the mid-80s City E model which has the benefit of 12 inch wheels and front disk brakes.

I have had 2 in this colour and spec...



2. Or better still the Metro version - a HLE like I used to have. Again rare due to rust and a bad image but there are some still out there.



Both of these are powered by the same engine, higher compression in the Metro HLE and 46 vs 40 hp. Fuel consumption is about the same and you can cheaply improve the Mini with electric fan etc.

SU carbs too FTW! The Metro has better aero but more weight - 1800lbs. Blimey, now we would consider a car at 1800 lbs as a lightweight...

3. Citroen AX - the (very much) distant production relative of the eco2000 project to produce a car that does 2l/100km (141/117 MPG Imp/US). Lightweight and simple FWD small hatch.



4. Citroen CX 25 DTR Turbo 2 Safari. The car with the longest name ever.



5. Mini Marcos - again based on the original Mini but with better aero, or probably the updated Midas Bronze version.



Hmmm I think I have a theme here but these cars could be bought and completed (to at least running spec) for the money - maybe.

[larrybuck]

Thanks, Arragonis, for responding to my post. I get the feeling that many are looking down their noses at this price range.

If I had a son looking for his first car, or was looking for a fun 3-5th car?, it just sounds like fun.
Frugality apparently is not for snobs, unless the mob approves?

There are many interesting pleasing body shapes of cars I think would be fun to own. They didn't always have to be among the 10 best to win over my heart!

It seems that your 5 picks for this budget class are more exotic looking than what I'm seeing here. The mini Marcos looks like a lot of fun!


Just for laughs, (I'm not going to post it) picking the best performance car as is with NO fixup money would probably be an old cop car here w v8, huge sway bars, and probably 5 previous owners AFTER the police use of it! $500. limit!!!

[Arragonis]

That used to be the case here, you could pick up a Volvo T-5 or even a T-5R ex-police car with about 200k on the clock. It would probably never been allowed to cool down and is serviced every 2 weeks by plod. You have to repair the holes in the roof and the radio will be missing (and maybe holes in the dash too) but they go on forever.

I got an ex-police Escort for a GF years ago with 150K and it went well - well until she put it into a metal fence and the oil all drained out and she forgot to turn the engine off...