I've almost made my mind up, so here's your chance to change it. I'm looking for something relatively fun, but not necessarily a sports car. I prefer semi-luxury or luxury brands. 2 or 4 doors doesn't matter.for those of you who know Minho, I'm seriously considering his 330ci, if that helps give you an idea of what I'm looking for. I've looked at cars everyday for as long as I can remember, just to see what's out there but now that I'm buying in early march, my head is about to explode. Any suggestions are welcome. I would obviously consider cars slightly over the $10k mark with room to negotiate as well.... Thanks!
Do you mean Minho? If so, go for it. That car is well taken care of for what he uses it for and its definitely fun (even just riding in it)
I know minho as well ! I work in the same company, QT I've seen his car. It's a beast. He also takes care of it reallllllly well. I have never seen it in a bad shape of any sort what so ever.
I've been looking at 1st Gen CTS-Vs again. You can pick up a 100k car below 15k now. There are a couple locally in the 12-13 range. LS engine is stout the t56 is solid. Only issue is the rear ends, they only break if you launch the car hard or it wheel hops really bad and there are cheap fixes for that. 400hp 6 speed Brembos. Because its a LS you can really let anyone work on it. I like the E46 as a car and I actually bought one to build (with a LS) but they are to expensive to work on and get parts for.
What's the power on the 330ci supercharged? If it breaks it's gonna cost you a nasty amount.....been there done that. LS are dirt cheap....I vote 1 gen CTS-V as well! Just add JPM love to the sea of plastic.
Sup, everyone? Long time no post on my part; I've just been... lurking. Been out of Subarus for a bit, but have also been getting the itch to maybe get another one. Anyway... Buying/trading/flipping has been a bit of a hobby for me over the past eight years. I've always kept a couple of primary rides around for the wife and I, but I think the other night we counted twenty something cars that we could recall going in and out of our driveway since 2007, lol. That being the case, I've often found myself asking the exact question your thread poses. I wonder, do you want a project, and how much wrenching are you willing to do yourself? If the answer is "a lot," that opens up so many doors. High mileage, kind of ragged out C5 Vettes are starting to show up near the ten grand thresh-hold. Those give pretty high performance return for the buck. BMWs (E36 M3, E46 or newer 330i, etc) are awfully tempting, but regardless of what anyone tells you, be ready to dump some money into anything that doesn't have a fastidious maintenance history and the cooling system overhauled by 100,000 miles. Most fixes those cars need at that point are really pretty simple (things like valve cover gaskets and various sensors), but bend over if you plan on paying someone else to do it. As awesome as the 330ci you posted looks, I'd go into that purchase prepared for a worst case scenario. I'd expect an e46 M3 for ten grand to be salvaged, a complete turd, or a project in need of completion. If you like the CTS-V, how about the last GTO? 05 and 06 models still command a slight premium because of the LS2 engine, but last I checked you can get an 04 with the LS1 and surprisingly good miles for crazy awesome prices. Don't be surprised if you have to deal with some front suspension issues on these cars, and some of the interior bits, most notably seat stitching and power seat motors, don't wear especially well. If you DON'T like wrenching and want something fun and reliable in that price range, I can't help but be drawn to a couple of Nissan products. If you can find an Infinity G35 with a six speed, that ought to be a pretty solid car that's practical and pretty much a four door 350Z. I like the stealth factor of that car a lot, and prices are very reasonable. I bet ten grand would buy you a nice one. If you want a bigger sedan, an 03-04 M45 is A LOT of car for the dollar. Resale on this, what really is a good old car with some grunt, is downright terrible. Of course, that's probably at least partly because it is uglier than sin. I've thought about getting one of these just to tool around in, as it offers a lot and I don't have to look at its biggest pitfall while driving it. Miata? Always a great choice, but I'll admit I may not be secure enough in my manhood for it. Magnum R/T or Charger R/T or 300C V8- Good bang for the buck. Typical Chrysler quality (the font suspensions on these things are JUNK), and most compliments given to you while in or near this car will be from guys with their pants around their knees and speaking a form of English you probably will have trouble understanding. I know this sounds terrible and the implications of that statement may make me look bad, but trust me on this. I currently have a Magnum SRT-8, and I'm tired of people in my south Atlanta neighborhood asking if I've taken up drug dealing. Cadillac CTS-V- I looked hard at these before buying my SRT Maggie, and the appeal is undeniable. Probably would have gotten one if not for wanting the utility of a wagon and an automatic so my wife can drive it comfortably. They are kind of like my Dodge in that it has domestic build quality that can be spotty. Really start asking around and you'll find one guy who'll say he hasn't had a lick of trouble, and another guy who'll say it's the biggest POS he's ever owned and give you a 3 foot long laundry list of minor stuff he has dealt with. The above being said, though, I think they are probably pretty good cars overall, differential issues aside. The CTS-V diff reputation if kind of like that of Subaru transmissions- One fellah will say he's been through a couple even though he has always babied the car, and another will say he has ridden it hard and still on the original. Who knows. Regardless, I'd realistically expect to pay 15+ for a half decent one. Then again, if you are looking in the 15 grand price range, you are opening up more doors. An E46 M3 that isn't terrible is starting to fall within grasp, and Pontiac G8 GTs become an option that might at least be worth a test drive. Best favor you can do for yourself is decide: 1. In terms of practicality, what exactly do you need/want? 2. How reliable do you need it to be? Will you go commit seppuku if the motor grenades tomorrow? Or are you in a "That's no big deal, it's a project I'll fix myself" mindset? Alright, I'll shut up. Haven't been here for a bit, and then I just come barging in and running my mouth. I just can't help but love rambling about this sort of stuff.
^^^ LOL! Holy SHIT that was a long post! Sorry... Didn't realize how long until I hit "reply." I'm bored.
I'm honestly not scared of a mild project or a car that needs a little work. I realize I'm not in a high enough price bracket to warrant a perfect car. I am looking mainly at sporty/luxury cars. I have found some good deals on a few used 350Z's recently. And there is a salvage title TL-S that seems to be at least a 7.5-8 out of 10 just looking at the ad that has been for sale out here for a while. The only thing not functioning are the air bags (don't need them to pass inspection in Texas anyways), but the repair work is at least 100% complete, just hard to tell paint match/other issues from photos. I've owned 2 other vehicles with salvage titles and you can really come out on top buying that way. http://austin.craigslist.org/cto/4291994194.html I'm trying to decide whether its worth going to take a look at. Shiring, what you think of that^^^? Guess it can't hurt to at least take a look......