So I'm bored at work and I've been thinking a lot lately that I need to build something... I bought a house last summer and I now have my own garage to work in. I always told myself once I had my own garage then I would build a project car. Some of you know I sold my wrx to buy the house and now going along with that there is a mortgage payment... So I'm not working with unlimited funds here. I miss the wrx and it was a perfect daily driver and I've been thinking about buying a bugeye wagon but then I wouldn't have money to build a project. So the new idea is to buy a decent daily driver and have a separate project car. Now I know most of you here are going to say buy an L and swap it which is one of my choices but a lot of guys on here came from different backgrounds so I'm just looking for ideas. Building a project car would be a learning experience for me too is mostly why I want to do it, I've always been into cars and bikes and I know a decent amount about the mechanics of both but I've never completely torn something apart and just went crazy. So all of that being said these would be my choices, I'd want to find a clean starter car around $3-4k. 92-95 civic coupe- My car before my wrx was a 95 coupe and I had big dreams for that car. But not having a garage to leave a car torn apart for months on end I didn't build it up. I'd go ls/vtec turbo or gsr turbo if I could find a swap cheap enough, brakes, suspension, make a little freeway monster/drag car. Eventually build the motor for 400-500hp. I've got some really close friends with tons of honda experience that would help me out. 1st gen dsm- before anyone even says it... 6-bolt motor so don't worry about crank walk. Maybe a 2.4 stroker. My brother had a pretty badass talon awd and I know some other dsm guys so theres some experience and help around. DSMs never seem to run though they are fun cars but I'm not sure if I'd do it. 240sx- sr20 swap dori dori style!!! rwd turbo pretty much explains that option... Miata- Turbo, suspension, brakes, roll bar, wide ass tires. It would be like a 240 on crack! Anyone who thinks this is funny go search around for some turbo miatas and see if its still a chick car. But I don't think I'd fit in one anyway... FC rx7- v8 swap! kinda ugly cars though 240z- Badass cars but expensive to find a clean one. It would also need a v8. Impreza L- Wrx swap with a 2.5 block maybe? RA gears, suspension, brakes, rs front end, gt35r sooner or later So yeah those are my ideas anyway. I know theres people here that have had experience with all of them thats why I'm asking. I'm leaning towards the honda right now sorry guys. I can always build a subaru later theres plenty of time! DISCUSS
Good point! I've seen some pretty crazy ka turbo builds online before and the extra tq would be nice...
depends on what you want or how you like to drive. Drift, track, drag, daily driven?..... I would prefer a older/lighter Impreza with WRX swap as it can do almost all those.
true but still the ugliest IMO it would be fun for cheap but I'm just not sure about it thats a pretty expensive swap... could be making more power with a turbo b series for the same money. but all motor would be kinda fun showing people up just like that video. I'm not really sure what I want a civic would be fun to just mess around with, RWD on the others would be even more fun. And a swapped impreza like you said could do anything... But whatever I build it wont be my daily driver. I guess I'm not looking to build anything dedicated to one type of driving just a fun fast car. I dont really see a downside to any of them, being that its not for a daily car and wouldn't be driven in the winter rwd would be the most fun.
"Just a little four cylinder." awesome line! I have always wanted to build a 83-93 Fox body Mustang. they can be had for cheap, decent crate motor for cheap and boost is always an option down the road.
I've always wanted to get an old ford fairmont and stuff all the mustang's go fast goods underneath. Total sleeper :laugh:
yawn....all of them. do something interesting. have a beater brat shipped in from Seattle (seriously.....they're a dime a dozen out there, and no rust). and drop a 257 into it. or even just a 20G. at 2300 lbs, you don't really need alot of power :eek3:
that would be pretty neat, however i think it would be the most headaches of the bunch, i still stand behind the RX7 v8, but dont do a smallblock chevy, do something nobody does, like a smallblock olds, or a buick, or maybe a GN drivetrain.
I think the two least expensive projects would be the Honda and the 240sx, thare are soo many parts for these to swap between. I started out with Honda/Acura and as a matter of fact I still have my street/weekend track GSR in the garage. I havent touched it in years, but I'm considering bring it back out this summer. Its got quite a lot done to it if you're interested. Motor made 230whp 2.1ltr B20 Vtec NA. 12sec on the quarter in the crx which it came out of. I sold my STI and now I'm working purchasing a built 240sx. I'm tired of working on cars, I'd much rather just add a few parts and just enjoy it on my weekends. Remember both of these are on opposite ends so it will depend what you plan on doing with the car. DRIFT! Good luck!
That would turn into the most expensive option Get a 240sx, S13's are hot and with just a few mods you could have a really fun car
How bout a bike? Saves room in the garage saves gas and is fun at the same time. Not really the answer you are looking for but its another option.
I've got a bike right now, a 2002 honda superhawk (vtr1000f) and had a 2001 yamaha r6 before that. I grew up on dirtbikes and I've been in and out of both those hobbies a few times over the last 5 years. I can never seem to make up my mind for long. Ive got my street bike and a yz250 dirtbike that I'll be selling both in the spring if I decide to build a car. Just lookin to do somethin different for a while... I'll be back to bikes sooner or later I just want to build a car right now.
mean car, but a k20 swap will run you 10 grand, and thats pretty much just putting the stock motor into the car. if i was to build a project civic, id just go turbo d-series and tune it on crome. u can make a nice turbo kit for under 1500. and a d-seres will hold up to 300 for quite a while with a decent tune. best of all, new motors can be had for a couple hundred bux. if you wanted to go na, then a LS/VTEC would be nice, but if u skimp on building that motor right, its not guna be that amazing or reliable. you could also look into what i plan to do with my teg, H2B swap. the H2B uses an adapter plate to mate a b-series tranny to an h22 block. so you dont run into the axle alignment problems of a h-tranny, and get the better gear ratios and strength of a b-series tranny. keep in mind h22s are "cheap" motors in the honda world, and are about as torquey as they come. this is pretty much a k20 swap on the cheap. also a turbo miata would be bad ass, wouldnt need to make much power to be a real beast. but damn they need a hard top to look halfway decent.
