Uncle Ben's $3k tuner car challenge
I'm having challenge with a work buddy on who can build the better tuner car for $3000 including the car cost.
We both used to have rice wagons, but have since moved on to larger, slower and lamer domestic vehicles.
So this will be the build thread, I'm not entirely sure on the judging criteria and would like some input from beyonders. The goal is a well rounded tuner car, I'm thinking autocross, dragstrip and beyond vote on overall aesthetics? but would appreciate any input.
We started this about 3 weeks ago, and Ryan was looking at CRX's, civic hatchs, he was looking at 240sx's but they were out of the price range, he mentioned an AE86, but I told him he would have better luck finding a unicorn for our budget... or someone selling an AE86 who has no idea what they have...
I'm of course leaning to FWD mazda's, I love the KL series engines (it's the sound they make) but a KLZE from jdmsource is $1100, so a bit outta my pricerange.... after touring the junkyards I found an engine from a 2002 mazda 626 auto, with the 2.5l KLG4 which puts out 170hp and has a lighter crankshaft then all other KL's by something like 7lbs and at $240 it was a done deal.....pulling it without a hoist was interesting as I had to drop it down and then power lift the front of the car up, put a truck half shaft to hold it up and drag the engine out... but I got her home.
I go into work that following Monday, and told Ryan I got an engine. He was still looking at a wide range of cars, and I started to wonder if he was just pulling my leg on the whole challenge...
FFWD one week later I come in on Monday, he says he's got a car.... I ask what did he get. He says a 1984 toyota corolla SR5...I thought he was bullshitting me, then he told me to come outside and look... for $1500 he found a unicorn, unreal. A low mileage unicorn w/ around 150k on odometer...wow.
I will post pics soon, it's nice shape too. He bought it off some people in Red Deer who've had it in there family for 20+ years and they had no idea what those cars are worth to some people...
Now I on the other hand have already committed to the FWD mazdas, I did strongly consider getting an rx7 after I found out what he got... but RWD be damned my FWD will be better in the winter (I keep telling myself)..
After looking at kijiji for weeks on end, I found something... a 1996 mazda mx-3 with a slipping clutch, the people were asking $1000, then $800 I didn't want to be a total jerk as they were an older couple and they did live in a trailer park so I pitched em $700 and they accepted. The bonus is it comes with a nice set of winters, and 17" tenzo wheels with decent nexen rubber, which I may or may not sell - We'll see.
Pics of the cars coming soon.
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