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Hey folks, so my pride and joy experienced engine failure two days ago and while it’s in the middle of a tear down I'm planning for the worst case scenario just so I can move quickly when its time and it’s always fun pondering options. I had a boost spike (26psi+, tuning error) which blew the head gasket (white smoke out the back) which I am prepared to fix (along with ARP reinforced head studs) but my mechanic let me know yesterday that he suspects that I may also either have a bent valve or a hole in the piston (only the valve cover was removed at this point). A spark plug broke apart in one of the cylinders likely as a result of severe detonation and I’m prepared to repair the valve but if I have piston damage the labor and parts cost would be too prohibitive. With a wedding and home purchase coming up in the near future I’ll likely borrow a few grand to purchase/install a low mileage used motor, sell the car and use the funds to pay off the borrowed amount.
I’m looking to replace it with something that will get me into a bit less trouble, have good power out of the box and likely non turbo as it’s awfully tempting to start tinkering for big gains. To give you an idea of my tastes my past few cars have been 1995 Nissan 300ZX, 2003 Infiniti G35 , 2007 BMW 530i and my current 2011 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0T RSPEC (heavily modified, over 400hp at crank). I’m fairly open here as I initially was leaning towards something comfortable/luxurious/quiet but a few sports coupes/sedans in my price range have me tempted too. I’ve looked at the following cars, a few of them list locally for $20k but I’m sure they can be talked down a bit to reach my price ceiling of $18k.
-Hyundai Genesis Sedan (mostly 300hp V6’s in my range but I’ve seen a few with the 4.6L V8)
-Nissan 370Z (ok power, great handling and interior out of the box)
-Cadillac CTS (current gen)
-Infiniti G37 (sedan or coupe)
I prefer a manual transmission but I can live with an automatic, generally looking at 50k miles or less, should be considered reliable and not terribly expensive to maintain (which is why I’m not looking at cars like the BMW 335 or really anything German. I have one BMW and that is enough).
Feel free to list anything you find interesting!
Last edited by iTsLiKeAnEgG; 07-25-2013 at 05:24 PM..
Based on what you've driven in the past and what you're looking into, I can tell that you like fast cars. Well, so do I.
Now, your old car was a Hyundai with a turbo, right? And the engine recently crapped out. So, it would be nice if the engine in your new car could avoid doing that. The solution in my opinion would be a naturally-aspirated V-8. These engines are considerably more reliable, and you should have a much easier time working on the car.
The easiest way to get ahold of a good V-8 is to get a Mustang GT. Don't try finding an example from the most recent generation, go back one gen and THEN it'll fit your budget. It's mod-easy and fast as hell.
Another option is to get a GTO with a Chevy LS1 swap. The car itself should fit your budget, I don't know how much money an LS1 costs, but if you don't want to go that far, the stock engine should be satisfying enough. LS1s are very mod-able and 500plus-hp ain't no thang for an LS1 engine.
Next up: C5 Corvette with LS1 swap. I hear good talk that C5 Corvettes can sell as low as 15k, and if you put the LS1 in it, you'll be one of the fastest guys around. I mean, a Vette with 500plus-hp? You've got to do it.
If not, a G37 sedan might fall into the top end of your price range. I've been test driving a few 2010-2012 models and really love these cars.
I have an 06 g35 at the moment.
If you plan on modding, then 370Z on your list, but once you buy a home, you'll find you'll like modding that rather than the cars. That's how it ended up for me.
Based on what you've driven in the past and what you're looking into, I can tell that you like fast cars. Well, so do I.
Now, your old car was a Hyundai with a turbo, right? And the engine recently crapped out. So, it would be nice if the engine in your new car could avoid doing that. The solution in my opinion would be a naturally-aspirated V-8. These engines are considerably more reliable, and you should have a much easier time working on the car.
The easiest way to get ahold of a good V-8 is to get a Mustang GT. Don't try finding an example from the most recent generation, go back one gen and THEN it'll fit your budget. It's mod-easy and fast as hell.
Another option is to get a GTO with a Chevy LS1 swap. The car itself should fit your budget, I don't know how much money an LS1 costs, but if you don't want to go that far, the stock engine should be satisfying enough. LS1s are very mod-able and 500plus-hp ain't no thang for an LS1 engine.
Next up: C5 Corvette with LS1 swap. I hear good talk that C5 Corvettes can sell as low as 15k, and if you put the LS1 in it, you'll be one of the fastest guys around. I mean, a Vette with 500plus-hp? You've got to do it.
I've looked at the Mustang but I refuse to get a pre 2011 GT because the 2011 is a drastically better car in every way (and out of my price range). Same thing with the Corvette as its C6 (2005+) or bust. Btw, the C5 Vette comes with a factory LS motor as does the GTO (LS2 I believe).
If not, a G37 sedan might fall into the top end of your price range. I've been test driving a few 2010-2012 models and really love these cars.
I have an 06 g35 at the moment.
If you plan on modding, then 370Z on your list, but once you buy a home, you'll find you'll like modding that rather than the cars. That's how it ended up for me.
I think for the time being while I get my finances in order I don't want to modify anything. I'm going to leave that alone until another salary bump gives me some flexibility. It's going to be hard as I'm an auto nut at heart but its going to need to take a back seat to more important things in life.
For fun and to get something that offer a totally different experience than a sporty coupe get a really nice 92-96 Full size Ford Bronco or a factory Supercharged 99-04 Ford Lightning F-150
For fun and to get something that offer a totally different experience than a sporty coupe get a really nice 92-96 Full size Ford Bronco or a factory Supercharged 99-04 Ford Lightning F-150
Those are very cool trucks and I even like Wrangler Jeeps quite a bit but this will be my daily driver so a decent interior and some creature comforts/features are key.
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