Quirky Car Options

[War_Wagon]

That's a lofty goal for sure. The more I think about it the more I wonder if a Turbo Coupe with mods might actually work fairly well. For those who don't know what I am going on about, here is a link for it.

Motoring Memories: Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe, 1983-1988 - Autos.ca

I don't know how much of an issue rust is in your part of the world, but now I am thinking V8 Pinto or V8 Vega with a T5. There are a few around here that aren't rusted to death, and they are super lightweights.

[SentraSE-R]

??? The OP's a recovering hot rodder considering a Mk I Rabbit or a Civic Hatch, and you guys are suggesting LT-1s, 6.5 liter diesels, 5 liter Mustangs, and the like. He wants a rear seat, and you suggest Opel GTs and 240Zs. Do you have an open bar at your AA meetings, too?

What's a car with personality? I'd rule out all those 300k+ mass-marketed cars, but livewire's ok with the ubiquitous Civic hatch, VW Mk I, etc. Personality to me is uniqueness and quirkiness - a 3 cylinder, 2 stroke Saab, a Studebaker Avanti, an old Land Rover, a modern Nissan or Toyota safari vehicle, or a London taxicab.

[SentraSE-R]

Oh, you want 40 mpg? Get a box like mine.

[War_Wagon]

Ok then how about one of these? I had one, they are actually pretty peppy, RWD, and certainly quirky.

Merkur XR4Ti - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[SentraSE-R]

I think I get it. Livewire used to be into speed performance. Many speeding tickets later, or trouncings by sports bikes, or $75 fill-ups, he's now into mpg performance.

The sky's the limit, buddy. We beat the EPA combined rating here. I'm at 171% of EPA with my SE-R, and 175% with my xB.

[War_Wagon]

I feel his pain. I have had 12 second street cars, and get goose bumps when I hear a gear drive. But performance and economy are both extensions of efficiency. Performance has its place, and I still enjoy working on it. But economy is something you can use everyday, and actually puts money back into your wallet rather than soaking it all up. And performance has all been done before. Want an 11 second, street driveable Mustang? Here, follow these steps - no need to reinvent the wheel. Want to get 50 mpg out of your car thats rated for 30? Well now, that's a challenge that you have to put some thought and creativitiy into. My '88 Civic wagon cost less than the last set of drag radials I bought for a Mustang, but to be honest I had more fun and got more of a challenge trying to get MPGs out of it than I did burning off the radials at the drag strip. Just my 2 cents.

[Frank Lee]

Originally Posted by SentraSE-R

He wants a rear seat, and you suggest Opel GTs and 240Zs. Do you have an open bar at your AA meetings, too?

Sorry, you caught me not paying attention!

Supercoupes are cool and the 5sp m/t can get low 30s if you behave...

[cleanspeed1]

You are just making me work, good thing the baby woke up again.

Time to pull out the silver bullet! Or silver baby bottle! Silver stocks are up on the.......whoops, brain drifting again......sorry about that.

40 mpg combined with a little style...............

TDI powered VW Scirocco or Corrado....pretty much a bolt in deal there and the values for both those bodies is in the toilet. The TDIClub knows how to tune those puppies and you'll be past 50 mpg.

There was a guy that did a 3 Stage Vtec powered turbo Honda Civic, 55 mpg plus being saucy. Do a search here on the site, sounds too good to be true, but then again who knows.

90 Laser did a DSM coupe that has a fuel log. Fast and frugal.

The guy that runs Nitrous Express has a Duramax powered Mustang that has hit the mpg figure you want, but runs high 8s or 9s in the quarter mile. Went over 200 mph in the Texas Mile, too. Drives it everywhere. I think he went on Hot Rod's Dragweek with it.

Now there's an idea........LB7 Duramax, stock except for injectors, tune and turbo, 4L80E automatic, 12 bolt or Ford 9" with the tallest gears you can find, all on a front clip that takes the shock towers out. Talk about having your cake and eating it too! Slip it into lightened and aero'd Formula, it'll get the big mpg. And it is one of the best sounding diesels out there. The truck guys are getting real good fuel economy out of those things. Besides, you'll be the only one in the PA that has one.

[livewire516]

War Wagon and Sentra hit the nail on the head, except I've managed to beat most tickets. That's why the small Euro coupes and hatches appeal to me, at least if I get a tight suspension I may be able to whip them around a little. I really like the idea of the Merkur, also a TDI swap would be cool.

[cleanspeed1]

Originally Posted by SentraSE-R

??? The OP's a recovering hot rodder considering a Mk I Rabbit or a Civic Hatch, and you guys are suggesting LT-1s, 6.5 liter diesels, 5 liter Mustangs, and the like. He wants a rear seat, and you suggest Opel GTs and 240Zs. Do you have an open bar at your AA meetings, too?

What's a car with personality? I'd rule out all those 300k+ mass-marketed cars, but livewire's ok with the ubiquitous Civic hatch, VW Mk I, etc. Personality to me is uniqueness and quirkiness - a 3 cylinder, 2 stroke Saab, a Studebaker Avanti, an old Land Rover, a modern Nissan or Toyota safari vehicle, or a London taxicab.

Aw c'mon! Better be glad I didn't say Maserati Bi Turbo! And speaking of Italian, the rear drive Alfa Romeo 3.0 Quadrifoglio would be fun!

Haha!

Yugo with a hopped up 1.5 Fiat single cam motor?