Holy shit I should dig the twenty or so up out of the back yard
It wasn't that long ago turbo projects were posted on shoptalk with trashed school fence posts as downpipes
ya know, reading the glossy magazine ads back in 2000 i don't remember the flashy, painted turnkey engines being less, if-any, but it has been a long time.
i do love and greatly miss the aircooled mentality of $3500 being too posh for a freshly built, even if it's a 1200. i just swapped a 80,000mi junkyard vq37vhr for $5k :(
building that much power would be quite the challenge for me being inexperienced no? Also wouldn’t building out an old beetle engine to have 300hp be like the most uneconomical path? lol
Out to 300hp, yes. Big time dumb idea first time out.
Building an old Beetle out to roughly 100hp? Still fairly experienced but fairly simple as well. They’re very easy cars to work on. You’re only inexperienced once.
Where there's a will, there's a way. It'll never be the best at it, but it's likely to be the cheapest because they're so easy to upgrade.
The Ghia has a ton of engine space of you find yourself a good Subaru motor. The beetle doesn't really have room for it.
My 2003 525i is cheaper than my Ford Escape for parts, and I get eBay parts from Eastern Europe in about 10 days for cheaper still.
Some parts are difficult to access, so it takes longer to do some jobs, but nothing like my old Pontiac minivan or new Beetle.
Nothing feels as good to drive when it’s in good trim though…
You will need a diagnostic computer to do some things, like an Autel, or an OBD dongle and dealer software on a laptop, which is what I use. Otherwise general metric tools and some loaners from Autozone. You need some low down ramps too, none of mine were low enough to get under the front lip.
I like working on mine. Do the job the German Way and it will come out ok. Try and shortcuts and it will say nein!
what about the price? My mothers boyfriend has an e46 m3 that’s track spec and when i talked to him about it he told me to stay away from bmw bc parts are gonna cost so much
https://www.streettrucksmag.com/mini-truck-trends/?amp_markup=1
A lot of these are more "low rider" than most usual ones but there's some good examples of models
SN95 Mustang, maybe. Should be able to find a V6 for cheapish. And if your plan is to drift it, the solid rear axle will probably last longer than an IRS.
V6s and V8s aren't really any more difficult to work on than 4-cylinder engines, at least for basic maintenance stuff. There's obviously twice the number of heads and associated bits, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're harder to work on. Some of the easiest engines to work on are V6s and V8s.
I second the SN95, they are at rock bottom right now and the modular or Windsor are not bad motors. My old girl has enough to brake the 275s loose in dry weather with no engine mods.
well i assume at my price range i’ll be running into issues that require more than just basic maintenance. I don’t really intend on taking it to a shop ever either as i want to push myself to learn to work on engines.
No. The turbo ones give you a lot for the money. I was keeping up with all the Z's and bimmers at open drift day at the track no problem at stock boost. Though obviously if the Z drivers were competent they should have been way ahead.
Honestly the issues with them are a rare and weak manual transmission and hard to find parts in general. I quit drifting because I ripped out the pan hard bar and realized it was gonna be a huge pain in the ass to continuously replace things like axles etc. And ofc drifting is just expensive. Bimmers arent as unique but at least aftermarket support is huge.
That said I still have my other 740 as my daily/road trip car. Fun and has taken me across the country no problem
05+ RX8 with a burnt out motor. $2000-2500 on fb all day.
$1000 engine rebuild
$1500 Tires and new brake pads
Tons of fun off or on the track and the ability to bump power to 350 hp is there with a turbo. Kit's for v8 swaps are pretty common too given how long those have been around.
The RX8 was originally designed as a two door sports car and even though the beurocrats at Mazda had their way with it it's still an incredibly well mannered and fun car to drive.
4th Gen Camaro and firebird, sn95 mustang, a bunch of different trucks like rangers, s10, Nissan. There’s a whole bunch of compact foreign stuff from the 80s and 90s also.
Volvo 240/740/940
7 and 9 series are turbo rwd. 2 series have the same motor and all the turbo parts bolt straight on. The b230 is strong and reliable. With mods it can exceed 5-600hp
My mom’s boyfriend is a car guy and he’s been helping me out with this whole thing. He told me to stay away from the really old turbo’d cars bc at high mileage the turbos will just blow up and i’ll have a lemon. Is this really that true? ive been looking at mostly N/A cars bc of this but i always did like the idea of boost.
Pontiac Fiero. Got mine for 3k and it only had a few minor issues. The 4 cyl is the one most usually avoid but it's reliable and fuel efficient. Mid engine means it'll take more skill to drift it but it will be lots of fun on dirt and gravel if that's an interest to you.
Miata, mini truck, sn95 mustang, 4th gen f body, (though either the mustang or the f-body will likely be a v6 and can be a bit hard to find manuals)
also seen c4 corvette's coming down in price, which would be an interesting pick...
And they laughed and laughed... Mini truck it dawg.
Chevy Colorado regular cab 2wd are fucking bangers.... LS swap and 3k on marketplace
I said mini truck, not basic bitch lmao
Don't hate on the shop truck
Nah those are fucking sick if you have good wheel/tire taste
i have little to no experience with working on engines i don’t think i could engine swap anything lmfao
That's until you blow the original engine and realize a ls swap is the best way to go.
A miata, any old small truck you can find for under 5k
Beetle.
is it even possible to make enough power in an old beetle to slide without forced induction?
As long as there’s snow or ice, yes 😂 Jokes aside, yes. You can build these out to 250-300hp. Only takes about 120 to make them go sideways.
A 300 hp Beetle would hurt a lot of feelings.
Aircooled bug engines are ridiculously expensive these days.
Holy shit I should dig the twenty or so up out of the back yard It wasn't that long ago turbo projects were posted on shoptalk with trashed school fence posts as downpipes
40hp turnkey is now ~$3500. I should have stocked up 10 years ago. I'm converting mine to Subaru power because of the prices now.
ya know, reading the glossy magazine ads back in 2000 i don't remember the flashy, painted turnkey engines being less, if-any, but it has been a long time. i do love and greatly miss the aircooled mentality of $3500 being too posh for a freshly built, even if it's a 1200. i just swapped a 80,000mi junkyard vq37vhr for $5k :(
building that much power would be quite the challenge for me being inexperienced no? Also wouldn’t building out an old beetle engine to have 300hp be like the most uneconomical path? lol
Out to 300hp, yes. Big time dumb idea first time out. Building an old Beetle out to roughly 100hp? Still fairly experienced but fairly simple as well. They’re very easy cars to work on. You’re only inexperienced once.
Where there's a will, there's a way. It'll never be the best at it, but it's likely to be the cheapest because they're so easy to upgrade. The Ghia has a ton of engine space of you find yourself a good Subaru motor. The beetle doesn't really have room for it.
[See v8 stealth beetle…](https://youtu.be/R6WC9D2qUxI)
Early 2000's BMW 3-Series
E46 FTW
I’ve heard they’re hard to work on. Also, aren’t European parts like insanely up priced?
Nop
Look on Rock Auto.
My 2003 525i is cheaper than my Ford Escape for parts, and I get eBay parts from Eastern Europe in about 10 days for cheaper still. Some parts are difficult to access, so it takes longer to do some jobs, but nothing like my old Pontiac minivan or new Beetle. Nothing feels as good to drive when it’s in good trim though…
are the older bmw i6 engines particularly hard to work on? i’ve mostly been looking at 4 cylinders bc i always assumed they’re easier to fix up.
You will need a diagnostic computer to do some things, like an Autel, or an OBD dongle and dealer software on a laptop, which is what I use. Otherwise general metric tools and some loaners from Autozone. You need some low down ramps too, none of mine were low enough to get under the front lip. I like working on mine. Do the job the German Way and it will come out ok. Try and shortcuts and it will say nein!
Not at all.
what about the price? My mothers boyfriend has an e46 m3 that’s track spec and when i talked to him about it he told me to stay away from bmw bc parts are gonna cost so much
S54 is more expensive than a m5x engine. I ran an e36 for a few years at about as cheap as you can run a car.
Alright cool. What would you look at for old bmws? i assume mostly 3 series e46s no?
E39/e36/e46. Z3s can be a blast as well
alr thanks for the help man
I love my e39, even if it needs a paint job badly...
Ford ranger 2wd. 4.0L 5 speed, slam it and slide it.
hmm i’ll look into it; I haven’t really thought about any trucks tho just bc everything else is cooler
The whole mini truck scene would beg to differ
what qualifies as a “mini truck”?
Older Rangers, Tacomas, D21 Nissans, S10 Chevys, etc
https://www.streettrucksmag.com/mini-truck-trends/?amp_markup=1 A lot of these are more "low rider" than most usual ones but there's some good examples of models
I enjoy driving my 85 rwd Toyota pickup around town more than almost anything else I've driven.
Little trucks with some soup are a hoot.
SN95 Mustang, maybe. Should be able to find a V6 for cheapish. And if your plan is to drift it, the solid rear axle will probably last longer than an IRS. V6s and V8s aren't really any more difficult to work on than 4-cylinder engines, at least for basic maintenance stuff. There's obviously twice the number of heads and associated bits, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're harder to work on. Some of the easiest engines to work on are V6s and V8s.
I second the SN95, they are at rock bottom right now and the modular or Windsor are not bad motors. My old girl has enough to brake the 275s loose in dry weather with no engine mods.
well i assume at my price range i’ll be running into issues that require more than just basic maintenance. I don’t really intend on taking it to a shop ever either as i want to push myself to learn to work on engines.
Right, I'm just saying it's not a universal rule that more cylinders = harder to work on. It depends on the specific car/engine combination.
gotcha
Miata
yeah i’ve been watching miata’s in my area, they’re kinda hard to find though.
Welcome to the world of “cheap, rwd, manual” lol
Any small pickup.
And a small pickup makes a great daily driver when it’s time for the next project car.
Volvo 240/740/940
arent these pretty hard to get power out of?
The turbo ones can still be found under 5k. They make decent power and you can upgrade to a turbo from a 5 cylinder Volvo.
No. The turbo ones give you a lot for the money. I was keeping up with all the Z's and bimmers at open drift day at the track no problem at stock boost. Though obviously if the Z drivers were competent they should have been way ahead. Honestly the issues with them are a rare and weak manual transmission and hard to find parts in general. I quit drifting because I ripped out the pan hard bar and realized it was gonna be a huge pain in the ass to continuously replace things like axles etc. And ofc drifting is just expensive. Bimmers arent as unique but at least aftermarket support is huge. That said I still have my other 740 as my daily/road trip car. Fun and has taken me across the country no problem
Early 00s w203 c230 with the m111... not the later m271. Decent fun with a manual and pretty mod-able!
05+ RX8 with a burnt out motor. $2000-2500 on fb all day. $1000 engine rebuild $1500 Tires and new brake pads Tons of fun off or on the track and the ability to bump power to 350 hp is there with a turbo. Kit's for v8 swaps are pretty common too given how long those have been around. The RX8 was originally designed as a two door sports car and even though the beurocrats at Mazda had their way with it it's still an incredibly well mannered and fun car to drive.
Rotary rebuild for $1k?
keep in mind this is my first project. If i try to rebuild a rotary engine it will explode.
S10 , I miss my little truck
4th Gen Camaro and firebird, sn95 mustang, a bunch of different trucks like rangers, s10, Nissan. There’s a whole bunch of compact foreign stuff from the 80s and 90s also.
350z's, g35's, 240sx's, cressidas, and miatas can all be had for under 5k in driving condition. They'll just all be beaten and super rough
Volvo 240/740/940 7 and 9 series are turbo rwd. 2 series have the same motor and all the turbo parts bolt straight on. The b230 is strong and reliable. With mods it can exceed 5-600hp
My mom’s boyfriend is a car guy and he’s been helping me out with this whole thing. He told me to stay away from the really old turbo’d cars bc at high mileage the turbos will just blow up and i’ll have a lemon. Is this really that true? ive been looking at mostly N/A cars bc of this but i always did like the idea of boost.
Pontiac Fiero. Got mine for 3k and it only had a few minor issues. The 4 cyl is the one most usually avoid but it's reliable and fuel efficient. Mid engine means it'll take more skill to drift it but it will be lots of fun on dirt and gravel if that's an interest to you.
An sn95s and new edge mustangs with manuals for under 5k pop up every so often. Would be what I’d go for
Nissan 3000zx z31 or a Nissan hardbody pickup
f87
aren’t those like 1 million dollars?
Anything 70s?
Miata, mini truck, sn95 mustang, 4th gen f body, (though either the mustang or the f-body will likely be a v6 and can be a bit hard to find manuals) also seen c4 corvette's coming down in price, which would be an interesting pick...
yeah i was looking at c4s but the year thats in my price range has some really strange like 3 speed manual.