What Tuner Car to Get?!?!

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re:3 great tuner cars

by nissan350zguy5 Dec 13, 2006 12:29PM PST

1) Acura RSX-Type S

2) Nissan 350Z

3) Honda Civic Si

-all three are great and fun to work with, i would say either go with number 1 or 3 since u are just starting out and are just getting ur license, insurance on the Z is higher than the other two, so its up to u

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wow... i havent read one correct post on here

by mikepasini Jan 11, 2007 5:19AM PST

ok, not to be insulting, but don't post if you just flat out don't know what you're talking about...

cpl things, you said in the list of things you posted that you wanted a turbo timer, but i didn't see anywhere in your list that you listed a turbo kit... lol.

also man, you have to do things right... and a miata that someone put 40K into is pure ******** cause those cars are so small and light, you could never cut your wheel and turn 90 degress going like 120... his car would slide out for sure... if he can drive you can corner faster than that, but you bhave to know what your doing. you cant turn your chasis into a ferrari one cause thats where handling starts... stiffness and wieght balance are key and you will never get that unless you buy a ferrari or porsche or something.

i own a 96 civic hatchback with a integra gsr motor swapped in it custom chipped and tuned and a Limited-Slip Differential (LSD) tranny, full race suspension, big rotor brake upgrade... now i can tell you from my perspective... my stock civic could take a zx3 focus... they are slow and made by crappy FORD anyway... they cant even make the mustang right... Cheverolet is gonna blow those out of the water with the new camaro...

anyway, its easily a G35/350Z competitor in speed and almost handling, but those are RWD and they own on cornerning and launching, not quite 4WD, but still better than FWD...

civics IMO are reliable, there are so many parts for them... for the best deals you never buy from a shop, look on car forums... for example www.honda-tech.com is great or www.torontocivics.com is great for those from Canada.

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???

by under-wood Jan 14, 2007 12:41PM PST

no offense but this thread sucks the kid asked what tuner to get and now we have things that range from high end cars that he cant afford to plain out and out grudge matches between imports and domestics its getting old please get back on subject or just dont post

-thanks

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Are you serious?

by pontiac_guy Apr 14, 2007 3:40PM PDT

Yea i'm in total agreement. 350z, Acura NSX & RSX, i heard soem tools mention an s2000 and a toyota Supra? Yes these are all models of being affordable...if you've got some rich parents or alot of cash.

Really you can tune any car up. You can find parts for just about anything just some are harder to find than others. I've always been a Pontiac fan and I think Sunfires are very underrated. They're good reliable cars and you can find some aftermarket parts for a decent price, i'd avoid the 2.4 liter motor though, i've heard about them having a lot of problems.
Sunfires, Cavaliers, Civics, Celicas (tend to be more expensive, check to make sure the mileage on them isn't too high.

Then to start out on tuning i'd do some basic modifications like a high performance exhaust, air intake, upgrade the fuel injectors then move on from there.

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My list

by alcar721 May 14, 2007 7:56AM PDT

Since I don't feel the original question is answere well enough yet, here is my answer

Carsfor around 5000 or less that are good for tuning included, but aren't limited too:
89-94 Eclipse, talon, laser: Try to find an awd versio0n becdause they will be the most fun and are easily tuned.

94-97 Acura Integra: Great power plants the b18 block that comes in these cars is extremely customizable and has a great following in both the US and Japan, so parts will be plentiful.

Pontiac Sunfire/Chevy Cavalier: Great first cars, mild tuning can be done for little money, and without reliablity issues. However if you want to get into high power ranges, be prepared to sen some serious cash. These are probably one of the cheaper cars you will find.

Honda Civic: Like the integra, these cars have a huge following and are a great staring point. Not only do the stock d and z series motors have some potential, but the B series from Acura is literally a bolt in application in most cases. I would not suggest getting any of these made before 1992, mainly due to rusting.

1990-1999 Celicas: Great cars, Toyota Reliability, and good style with both generations. These cars can be made quite fast with the right parts and a little know how. The 1994+ Celicas can be outfitted with a 3sgte motor with little work, and you will not regret it if you do.

Ford Mustangs: A great bang for the buck car. You are going to have a lot of power right out of the box, especially if you opt for the V8. Parts are readily available and your mods can range from Milwd to wild with prices ranging accordingly.

Subaru Imprezas: An awesome first car, actuall this was my first, and favorite, car. I had a 1999 2.5rs, which I still have now 3 years later. these cars have the advantage of being All Wheel Drive, so handling is above average already. Also, If you are lucky and find a 2.5 like I did, they have an ej series motors. The ej is what is in the wrx and the STI, and can be transplanted without any motor mount changes. If you can't find a 2.5 in your budget, the 2.2 L version is a good alternative. Although you cant get the hug power you may want out of it, they are a good starter car, and will accept the EJ motor with some work.

Nissan 240sx: RWD, and very potent motor potential. Just like Hondas, Nissans have a huge following, and thus parts are widely available. Te ka24 motor that will most likely come in it is a good baseline. Also, if a ot of power is desired, the more potent sr20 motor is a viable swap, meaning it is do-able without much modification.

I realize this isn't every car possible, but These cars I listed are great starters, and most you can find for right around 5000 or less in some cases. Hope this helps

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who can improve on this?

by jonah jones May 29, 2007 8:48PM PDT

http://youtube.com/watch?v=whIee4DDIso&mode=related&search=

.,

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F-bodys!

by iwannagofast Oct 28, 2007 5:53AM PDT

look into F-bodys! A Camaro or trans-am, in 93-97 with a LT-1 350ci v8 they came stock with 275hp/325tq weighed 3,300LBs and still make 17 city / 26 highway MPG. They can be had in nice condition with either a six speed manual or 4 speed auto for 3,000 to 7,000$ with 55-85,000 in miliege on them. The cars respond to bolt-ons very well. The cars are good for low 14's to high 13's in the 1/4 stock, and can be improved upon easily with few modifications. The car would cost the same as the mods for the "tuner" car and it would already be faster as well as more fun to drive around (lots of torque!!). You could even get into a 98-02 Camaro/TransAm for under 10,000$ even in SS trim. The 98-02 cars came factory with 305hp/335tq (+10-15 more for SS) and made 18/27mpg with a 5.3 0-60 theres no questioning the fun factor.(They also have been known to run mid to low 13's stock 1/4mi some have even dipped into the high 12's) Its just somthing to look into Im by no means opposed to import cars bieng fast (they just don't normaly come that way) its just that If you can go faster for less while having the A/C on with leather and T-Tops I mean why not. A v8 does not always equal a massive gas bill it depends upon the weight of your right foot! check 'em out though go for a ride or drive one and see what there all about!

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celica

by j9289d Feb 25, 2008 10:41AM PST

if you dont have a ton of cash, get a 98 celica all trac turbo, its a light weight supra. with a body kit it will look even more like one.. which can be good or bad, good for resale bad for racing

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get a beater

by gmx763 Mar 10, 2008 1:26PM PDT

At sixteen your better off finding a cheap ride that grams or gramps drove. Every kid in my high school who had their parents buy them a car or "tuned" their ended up cracking up their rides. This one kid wrecked 2 new mustang gts and then his parents bought a WRX. I drove a used Jetta up until last year when the tranny died. I since I didn't spend all the extra money on after market decals and exhaust tips (that people seem to think add HP) I was able to get a MKV GTI. Save your cash for college and when you have a decent job then invest another car to tune. Personally, I want to get a 73 Opel GT, stock engine is 75 horse but you can pull the engine out of a junked chevy s-10 blazer and all the bolts match up. Then you've got 216 horse with a turbo or other mods plus it counts as a classic so your insurance would be ridiculously cheap. If you decide to tune your first car then get a decent repair manual and memorize it, Bentley Publishing has a decent series. You're better off saving your cash though you can only go so fast anyway and show without go is worth nothing.

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Okay, it's been THREE years

by make_or_break Jun 30, 2008 9:13PM PDT

What the hell did you buy???

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1995-1997 Volvo 850 T5 turbo

by K-Fudge Feb 23, 2009 9:48AM PST

hey im also 16 bro and i was lookin for some tune up cars to.. and i came across a 1997 volvo 850 T5 turbo. They are cheap goin for around 3-5k around in portland OR. Also if you look up some Volvo 850 vids on youtube you can see how they can look nice and be modded very nicely

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ew6YwIN2IQc

plus for stock on a T5 turbo is around 220 HP @5200 RPM.

but im also new to the import scene, and am lookin for advice on my first car also so if anyone can help me out.

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