AutoEuphoria
Captain Slow
Driving around this Focus sure does get boring sometimes...especially when I need to accelerate. Push the pedal down...wait 15 seconds...see I'm still only doing 55 and then cry 
Bad thing is that no matter what, I won't be able to do anything for a while. This in-between time always sucks because I just keep looking around, seeing things I'd love to have and think "oh man, if I only had the money...".
I've been tossing a few things around in my head. I've set some parameters for myself to help narrow stuff down. First, it has to be pretty quick when I get it. I have gotten tired over the years of getting slow cars and trying to make them quick. I've spent far too much money in that pursuit. I am looking for something that will run at least a high 12 when I get it. Second, it has to be OK for longer cruises, too. I'm not looking for a race car...I'm looking for something I can enjoy on the weekends. I do plan on having another car to drive daily, too, so cargo space and fuel economy aren't really major factors. I definitely want a coupe of some sort...a convertible just isn't my style. Also, needs to have a manual transmission...no ATX for me.
So, based on that criteria and my own personal likes and dislikes, I weeded out a few cars and came down to a short list. One of them really keeps sticking out for me as something I'd really like to own, but I'm not sure I'm thinking clearly on the subject, so I figured I'd ask around here.
The cars I thought would fit well were an 03/04 Cobra, a 2002+ Corvette (preferrably a Z06), or a Mazda Rx7 with an LS1 swap.
The Mazda is the car that really sticks out for me. I owned a 94 Rx7 back a few years, and loved it (minus the completely shit motor). I always wanted to swap an LS1 into it, but being a college student at the time I didn't have any funds to do such a project, and the specimen I had wasn't really worthy of such a feat.
I just love the way the interior wraps around you. I've sat in a lot of cars, but the interior of the Rx7 just sticks in my mind as one of the best. The seating position, the way everything is molded around the driver...it's a great car to be inside. The exterior is very sexy, too, imo. Very sleek and slippery. The car is light (like under 2500lbs, I believe). An LS1 would give it 350whp, which makes for a better P/W ratio than a stock Cobra. The LS1 has a huge aftermarket, too, and although some parts would need to be custom made (exhausts for example), the internals (heads/cam, etc) would all still be fine. The swap still maintains the car's near 50/50 weight distribution, so handling is all but uneffected. The price is the kicker for me. You can find a swapped Rx7 in good condition for under $20,000. That's pretty cheap compared to the $25,000+ for a good condition Cobra and $30,000+ for an old Z06.
I'm just not sure that I'm thinking about it right. The main points are that the car has to be fun to drive in all aspects (handling and speed), has to have a good interior (a bad inside ruins the experience for me), a good driving position (like a sports car), around $20,000 or a bit over, and be quick to start with (something around a 12.9 or under would be nice).
Thoughts? Other ideas?
Pic for fun (this one was for sale at $19,500 and the engine isn't stock):
Bad thing is that no matter what, I won't be able to do anything for a while. This in-between time always sucks because I just keep looking around, seeing things I'd love to have and think "oh man, if I only had the money...".
I've been tossing a few things around in my head. I've set some parameters for myself to help narrow stuff down. First, it has to be pretty quick when I get it. I have gotten tired over the years of getting slow cars and trying to make them quick. I've spent far too much money in that pursuit. I am looking for something that will run at least a high 12 when I get it. Second, it has to be OK for longer cruises, too. I'm not looking for a race car...I'm looking for something I can enjoy on the weekends. I do plan on having another car to drive daily, too, so cargo space and fuel economy aren't really major factors. I definitely want a coupe of some sort...a convertible just isn't my style. Also, needs to have a manual transmission...no ATX for me.
So, based on that criteria and my own personal likes and dislikes, I weeded out a few cars and came down to a short list. One of them really keeps sticking out for me as something I'd really like to own, but I'm not sure I'm thinking clearly on the subject, so I figured I'd ask around here.
The cars I thought would fit well were an 03/04 Cobra, a 2002+ Corvette (preferrably a Z06), or a Mazda Rx7 with an LS1 swap.
The Mazda is the car that really sticks out for me. I owned a 94 Rx7 back a few years, and loved it (minus the completely shit motor). I always wanted to swap an LS1 into it, but being a college student at the time I didn't have any funds to do such a project, and the specimen I had wasn't really worthy of such a feat.
I just love the way the interior wraps around you. I've sat in a lot of cars, but the interior of the Rx7 just sticks in my mind as one of the best. The seating position, the way everything is molded around the driver...it's a great car to be inside. The exterior is very sexy, too, imo. Very sleek and slippery. The car is light (like under 2500lbs, I believe). An LS1 would give it 350whp, which makes for a better P/W ratio than a stock Cobra. The LS1 has a huge aftermarket, too, and although some parts would need to be custom made (exhausts for example), the internals (heads/cam, etc) would all still be fine. The swap still maintains the car's near 50/50 weight distribution, so handling is all but uneffected. The price is the kicker for me. You can find a swapped Rx7 in good condition for under $20,000. That's pretty cheap compared to the $25,000+ for a good condition Cobra and $30,000+ for an old Z06.
I'm just not sure that I'm thinking about it right. The main points are that the car has to be fun to drive in all aspects (handling and speed), has to have a good interior (a bad inside ruins the experience for me), a good driving position (like a sports car), around $20,000 or a bit over, and be quick to start with (something around a 12.9 or under would be nice).
Thoughts? Other ideas?
Pic for fun (this one was for sale at $19,500 and the engine isn't stock):
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