Ok so this isn't going to matter too much until I graduate in May, but I'm starting to think about what my new daily driver should be. After a graduate there's a better than 50/50 chance that I will be working full time at my current job at a small investment company in Chapel Hill. I'm guess I will be pulling in like in the low 30's worst case scenario as far as a salary goes.

I'm currently daily driving a 1989 Supra that I picked up for $200 and got running decently after another $800. The body is not clean on it and I will definately want to get rid of it. My other project car is a 1988 Rx-7 nonturbo which actually seems to get better mileage than the Supra. After two years I'm getting close to the limit on reasonable mods for the 7, so I'm hoping to keep that but eventually buy another project car too.

My max budget will be like $7000 or so, but I can't make up my mind about whether I should get something completely practical or buy another nice car. The thing is, I will most likely be commuting 20 miles each way to Chapel Hill b/c I don't want to move out of Raleigh. It needs to have working A/C and cruise control. So my options for a daily driver right now seem to be:

1. try to buy my dad's 99 Corolla off of him by then. It will probably have like 125k on the clock but he may sell it to me for like 3 or 4 grand. Or I could wise up and get a civic or a saturn... this is probably the wisest but most boring choice.

2. Miata, preferably a second gen. It would handle really well (RWD), be a convertible, but also be slow and a bit embarassing.

3. 2nd gen Rx-7 convertible--super clean. Like 60k on the clock max... I will pay top dollar for something mint and completely stock, so this would probably hit 7k in cost. This would run on 87 octane and net me low to mid 20s in gas mileage. Clean convertibles are really easy to find actually.

4. 1st gen Rx-7--super clean. I'd probably pay up to 5 or 6 grand for something mint. It'd be like buying a Miata except worse gas mileage and very uncommon.

Even though it'll be about 6 months before I can be serious about this, I'd like to hear your opinions.

8/7/2006 6:05:36 PM

Personally, I would say the rolla or miata.

Most people I know wouldn't be caught dead in a miata, but you should buy what you want.

8/7/2006 6:13:05 PM

Quote :

"seems to get better mileage than the Supra"

Yes, the Supra is a gas guzzler. I was getting probably 20mpg at best. The 3.0L I6 and over 200K miles will do that to ya (well, my 87' supra had 240k miles )

For gas efficiency, I say something under 2.0L and only 4 cylinder.

8/7/2006 7:51:12 PM

30k a year and a 7k budget. and your considering among other things, a fucking miata? sucks to be you.

8/7/2006 9:48:52 PM