Hypothetical: $5000 budget build - what would you do?


- total includes purchase price of the vehicle. lets make it interesting.
- limit assumptions on free parts.
- vehicle options are: street/drag/offroad/show


GO!

6/4/2009 9:41:35 AM

buy an old VW bug, tear it apart.
buy some tubing....weld together a dune buggy frame.
insert VW drivetrain......BAM dune buggy!

6/4/2009 9:52:50 AM

^ dune buggy was what popped into my mind as well.

also, my dad owned some old corvettes that are lying around that could probably be fixed up for about that much.

6/4/2009 9:55:14 AM

g body drag

6/4/2009 9:56:14 AM

1988 JEEP COMANCHE





THAT COST MORE LIKE 3500 INCLUDING PURCHASE

6/4/2009 10:10:24 AM

depends what I wanted to do with it. anything that required taking a turn in a competitive manner would have to be a Miata.

6/4/2009 10:12:49 AM

I'm thinking:

- small car/truck with ls1 swap (have no idea the cost of those engines)

- turbo tacoma 4-boogity boogity

- volkswagon rabbit diesel (maybe a pickup)

- 95 cummins, like mine. I've seen them go for $2500-3k. strip the unnecessaries, get a set of injectors and tune the shit out of it. be good for ~300whp, which would be fun!

[Edited on June 4, 2009 at 10:15 AM. Reason : -]

6/4/2009 10:13:55 AM

Quote :

"I'm thinking: - small car/truck with ls1 swap (have no idea the cost of those engines)"

Quote :

"PROJECT BUDGET BUSTED"

eDIT: BUY THIS FROM SETH http://www.nc4x4.com/forums/showthread.php?t=63746

FIND A WAY TO INSTALL V8, 9" REAR , WE CAN TUBE IT OUT

BAD ASS

[Edited on June 4, 2009 at 10:18 AM. Reason : WQE]

6/4/2009 10:16:16 AM

get my 240 back from my sister and restore/upgrade it.

6/4/2009 10:39:58 AM

Buy old Fc Rx7 with blown rotary but a decent chasis. $500

Purchase LS1 with transmission. $3000

Wiring harness from painless- $600
New Radiator- $200

Do the labor yourself - $free

---------
$4,300 + misc. expense

I can't recall if a custom drive shaft is needed and if so, how much that would run. Otherwise, you should have a pretty solid sports car project right there...

Sounds like a lemons project?

[Edited on June 4, 2009 at 11:17 AM. Reason : .]

6/4/2009 11:16:38 AM

lemons?


ahhh shit. yeah.


that would be the tits, though.

6/4/2009 11:31:14 AM

VW bus


I'd go as far as that $5k would allow me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ngDbt_PFyzU&feature=player_embedded

6/4/2009 11:36:16 AM

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/cto/1204412616.html

I think it's a perfect candidate.

Actually, here's one:

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/cto/1204095874.html
130 hp
2,800lb curb weight... and you can strip a couple hundred out easy imo.

Yeah... I'd rock that at the lemons



[Edited on June 4, 2009 at 12:24 PM. Reason : .]

6/4/2009 12:13:13 PM

Quote :

"- volkswagon rabbit diesel (maybe a pickup)"

needs work, but cheap (not affiliated, just saw it for sale):
http://forums.ncdubs.org/showthread.php?t=15341

6/4/2009 12:19:27 PM

I saw that CL too.

http://raleigh.craigslist.org/cto/1203840682.html

[Edited on June 4, 2009 at 12:25 PM. Reason : .]

6/4/2009 12:24:44 PM

i'd save my $

6/4/2009 3:42:38 PM

its hypothetical, and more fun than bench racing with unlimited budgets and no constraints

6/4/2009 4:10:56 PM

I'd put a Miata engine in an S2k.

6/4/2009 4:31:23 PM

WAIT!!!!!




LS1/auto/9" into my civic sedan

6/4/2009 4:55:46 PM

hurley been talking about s2k drivetrain into his box civic for years


C2K will never happen though... he can't even finish his truck

6/4/2009 5:21:32 PM

Quote :

"g body drag "

thumbs up with that

6/4/2009 6:42:33 PM

an ls1 and transmission is only 3000? friend and I are thinking about a miata when my civic is finished.

6/4/2009 6:46:13 PM

^blown 4.6 in the miata

6/4/2009 6:51:37 PM

you could just build a hatch and we could be twins .

i would much rather do the miata but its hard to find a cheap miata....well REAL cheap

6/4/2009 6:54:13 PM

Im actually trying to get rid of a hatch.

6/4/2009 7:53:08 PM

^^ i've seen runners for $1000

kinda tough to find one with a blown engine...they run forfuckingever.

6/4/2009 7:57:59 PM

^^

Which year how much, feel free to pm

6/4/2009 8:37:19 PM

Quote :

"an ls1 and transmission is only 3000? friend and I are thinking about a miata when my civic is finished."

Yea, I've seen a few go up on CL as well as forums. Deals are out there, you just have to wait for them. You can get a 80k-90k mile engine/trans, ecu and all accessories for about $3k. The 01/02 years seem to go for a little bit more than (I believe the accessories were relocated and thus much lower, allowing better hood clearances in conversions such as the the Porsche and Datsun vehicles). I was going to go that route and was waiting until I found a fresh LT1 with new accessories and ecu for just $1k. Kinda wish I stuck with the LS1 and just spent the extra money on the lighter aluminum engine but oh well. I hear most people are swapping in LS2's these days.

6/4/2009 8:38:42 PM

Get a late 70's VW Bus camper (Wesfalia or ASI Riviera) and fix it up. I think I have spent exactly $5k on it... $3,500 on it and $1,500 for various upgrades, paint and repairs. Now you have an extra car, a place to stay at the beach and an RV for tailgating.

[Edited on June 4, 2009 at 8:54 PM. Reason : .]

6/4/2009 8:53:03 PM

I think I would rebuild any engine I bought. If you spot any in NC for sale cheap could you pm me a heads up? The higher the mileage probably the better. Most of the crap I see is automatic.

6/4/2009 8:53:18 PM

pm sent with all the info.

6/4/2009 8:53:59 PM

turbo e30

6/5/2009 11:24:40 AM

THE REAL QUESTION MY SONS IS WWJD SON?

WWJDS?

6/5/2009 12:35:44 PM

^ haha

6/5/2009 1:32:22 PM

sadly i'd say a blow-through carb'd turbo fox body, auto, stock suspension 275dr car

assuming the stock engine can hold some boost and your throw in some swap meet parts

(set of twins on CL for $1900..has to be possible)

6/6/2009 2:25:53 AM

electric porsche 914.

6/6/2009 9:06:46 AM

gixxer motor on a Zuma

6/6/2009 9:18:08 AM

my 92 vr4
td05 e16g conversion
meth injection kit
...
profit

6/6/2009 12:45:30 PM

how much for the vr4?

because the two turbos alone will run 1100

youre selling your car for under 3500$?

6/6/2009 5:03:06 PM

i was for a while, but the lack of a/c and clutch booster vac assist made some pussies back out. i think i'm going to keep it and build a track car

6/7/2009 2:13:57 AM

ISUZU IMPULSE RS + rebuild + wheels and tires + bigger turbo

6/7/2009 8:31:20 AM

rat rod

6/30/2009 2:38:23 PM

Corrado would be fun
http://eastnc.craigslist.org/cto/1246039829.html
http://raleigh.craigslist.org/cto/1216656444.html

6/30/2009 3:22:55 PM

Corrado would be fun to look at.

6/30/2009 3:38:47 PM

VR6 > G60

both had their own unique set of issues, tho.. i wouldnt suggest a corrado unless you enjoy working on cars as much as you enjoy driving them.

6/30/2009 5:34:56 PM

Quote :

"anything that required taking a turn in a competitive manner would have to be a Miata."

i would think that the Miata would be a bit out of this budget if you include the cost of the car. Especially if he's going for spec-miata. Might have better luck with an E30 although I think they too are reaching Miata status in terms of cost and popularity.

6/30/2009 5:44:46 PM

WWJD

7/4/2009 4:49:39 PM

there's a Miata in New Bern for sale for $1700 that's been on the market FOREVER. Check Craigslist. It's an automatic, but that won't matter if it gets the LS1/T56 treatment. I bet they'll take $1000--it's been for sale for a while.


There was a '99 in good shape, but with a blown engine for sale in Wilmington for "$1000 obo". I was gonna go get it and either put a junkyard Miata engine in it or LS1-swap it, but someone else beat me to it.

[Edited on July 5, 2009 at 9:38 AM. Reason : you will not be able to do an LS1 Miata for $5000, though.]

7/5/2009 9:37:46 AM

This is pretty much exactly what im in the middle of right now. Had decided to sell my bike and build with whatever I got for it. Worked out to $5000

Went with an 87 Mustang LX 5.0 to build into an 1/8 mile drag. Currently have done:

All small details that needed to be repaired, brakes, hoses, battery, wheel bearings, thermo, gutted interior, belts, removed AC, emissions, etc...

Major purchases = MT ET streets on used centerlines, spool, 4.30 gears, UCA and LCA, shocks, drag springs, guages (stock suspension and tires couldnt even handle stock power so I had to go this route first instead of engine)

Unfortunately that list alone puts me at my budget without really even digging into the engine. But with what I have done I can do the engine a bit at a time. Engine already has complete exhuast to begin with. May go with a 100 shot until the engine blows then rebuild this winter. Figured for now a light car with sticky tires, and big gears should be sufficient for starters. Hopefully will have the engine built for some bracket racing next spring.

7/5/2009 1:12:56 PM

put a 5.0 in a pinto

7/6/2009 8:26:51 PM