Please help me pick a car :D

PULLY6 · 17-06-2005, 03:48 PM

Well guys & girls, I'm posing a question to you all. I need something to keep me occupied, and I'm thinking a project car is the way to go; basically I'm looking for suggestions on what would might be a good car.

Essentially, i'm looking to tidy it up, pull the engine to bits, put it back together again, practice spraypainting, hack around in (instead of taking the 'mont out all the time), and generally have fun!

My first car was a KE70 Corolla 1.3L 5sp Manual, and I LOVED it. It was a beast and it ripped mad skids (for an underpowered 4cyl lol).

I'm thinking of something under the following guidelines:
- MUST be rear-wheel-drive
- MUST be available in manual (pref. factory)
- can be 4 or 6 cyl, but economical
- MUST be just about bulletproof (ie take a thrashing :P)
- oh yeah, its gotta be CHEAP

:

So i'm tossing up between cars like: Escort, Corolla, *Capri*, *Celica* even considering a Torrie of some description (like LJ or something). So if you've worked on any of these sorts of cars let me know how easy they are to work on, how available parts are etc.

Please help me pick one!

Many thanks

Pully

Paris Hilton · 17-06-2005, 03:51 PM

Go buy a wrecked AE86

Does it have to be RWD? A Peugeot 205 with a more potant engine would be lethal...Finding a cheap one would be hard though...

neb · 17-06-2005, 03:56 PM

my vote is escort... or a corolla.. both would be fun

GreenMachine · 17-06-2005, 04:01 PM

A hot-6 Torana would be my pick. Lots of performance gear available (triple carbs, cams, heads, internals, blah), easy to fit a Supra 5-speed or a Holden 4 speed, 200rwhp out of those things is achievable, plus a well sorted Torana would handle great.

/me goes and hides under a Ford...

EA2BA · 17-06-2005, 04:03 PM

Stick with ford and get an escort or a cortina

dansedgli · 17-06-2005, 04:05 PM

Mmm LJ torry

Perana · 17-06-2005, 04:10 PM

Escort !!

4.9 EF Futura · 17-06-2005, 04:22 PM

Heh, get a corona. If you want tough, one of those buggers would survive a nuclear holocaust sitting on redline with no oil or water!!!

**Falcon Coupe** · 17-06-2005, 04:24 PM

Hmmmm, 6 cyclinder Cortina would make a nice project car. as would a Chrysler Centura with a 265/245 HEMI !

tickford302 · 17-06-2005, 04:26 PM

Dont count out the Chrysler, my first car was a Centura 245 hemi 4 speed that hammered, took that out and put in a E49 spec 265 with a LSD and it used to still spin in 3rd, still have all the running gear except the 4 speed as the body work got terminal cancer, so IMO go for the Hemi powered.....

Heeno · 17-06-2005, 04:32 PM

escort, cortina, torana or a gemini(not sure if its RW drive) either one

PULLY6 · 17-06-2005, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tickford302

Dont count out the Chrysler, my first car was a Centura 245 hemi 4 speed that hammered, took that out and put in a E49 spec 265 with a LSD and it used to still spin in 3rd, still have all the running gear except the 4 speed as the body work got terminal cancer, so IMO go for the Hemi powered.....

Chrysler Centura? Never heard of 'em. Not discouting them at all, I'm open to suggestions. Anyone got any pics? Are they easy to work on?

Quote:

Originally Posted by selekta

Go buy a wrecked AE86

I would if I could afford it matt!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Falcon Coupe

Hmmmm, 6 cyclinder Cortina would make a nice project car.

Not a bad idea actually, I dont mind the Cortinas, esp those big square ones with big rectangular front lights.

PULLY6 · 17-06-2005, 05:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4.9 EF Futura

Heh, get a corona. If you want tough, one of those buggers would survive a nuclear holocaust sitting on redline with no oil or water!!!

Thats not a bad idea! Thats the sort of car I'm after - once I've tidied it up a bit it will become my daily driver for uni, next year.

mr_efxr · 17-06-2005, 05:13 PM

Rotary!! (Series 1 or 2 RX7)

Easy to work and fun to thrash.

Perana · 17-06-2005, 05:15 PM

Centura is a Cortina sized chysler. Not a bad car, can fit a 265 Hemi into them too !

tickford302 · 17-06-2005, 05:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PULLY6

Chrysler Centura? Never heard of 'em. Not discouting them at all, I'm open to suggestions. Anyone got any pics? Are they easy to work on?

I'll have to rummage through to find some pics,they were out arond the time of the LJ and XU1 similar kind of shape.Very easy to work on as the engine bay was big enough to fit in a 360 hemi. main problem is the economy, by the time i finished mine i used to get around 220-250ks to a tank of petrol,but it was fun..

TURBOTAXI · 17-06-2005, 05:49 PM

Centura's are a cool car.
I would look at what is cheap and cars that parts are plentiful for. I am thinking the full range of e-series fords. Good power, good technology, good base for mods.

megsy · 17-06-2005, 06:18 PM

i'll second that, somewhat easy to work on too

LuvinmyEB · 17-06-2005, 07:00 PM

Well we have 2 MkII Escorts here that need to be melded into one so to speak, body on one is fine, motors in both need to be ripped down and rebuilt.

So will it be the 2 door or 4 door? :hihi:

P.S. The 4 door is the one that has the best body but needs a respray. ;)

tickford302 · 17-06-2005, 07:06 PM

Bit off topic, megsy i see you have added s pack cluster to your mods glad it worked out for ya.

ok back to topic....

Psycho Chicken · 17-06-2005, 07:11 PM

LX hatch, 350 Chev, A9X kit, black over red.....aahhhhh now I'm getting excited!

The Mighty Red · 17-06-2005, 07:27 PM

1980 1.3l toyota corolla ,very cheap these days to buy and to run, not very powerful but you can not blow this motor up if you tried, toyota made this motor to well because nothing ever goes wrong with it

PULLY6 · 17-06-2005, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by our_blue_xr6

1980 1.3l toyota corolla ,very cheap these days to buy and to run, not very powerful but you can not blow this motor up if you tried, toyota made this motor to well because nothing ever goes wrong with it

Hence why I wouln't mind another one

I ran mine into the ground and she still went when i traded her in.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Psycho Chicken

LX hatch, 350 Chev, A9X kit, black over red.....aahhhhh now I'm getting excited!

Oooh me too! Can't afford to run it but, I'll be a well pov uni student next yr!

Quote:

Originally Posted by LuvinmyEB

Well we have 2 MkII Escorts here that need to be melded into one so to speak, body on one is fine, motors in both need to be ripped down and rebuilt.

Is that an... invitation?

:

**Falcon Coupe** · 17-06-2005, 10:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Psycho Chicken

LX hatch, 350 Chev, A9X kit, black over red.....aahhhhh now I'm getting excited!

He has gone to the dark side...BAN HIM !

Psycho Chicken · 17-06-2005, 11:02 PM

haha it's about the only General I'd own. That or a 5 speed Camaro Iroc.

TURBOTAXI · 18-06-2005, 07:35 AM

I was just thinking about how open minded forum members were being......

deankdx · 18-06-2005, 08:07 AM

theres a corolla early 80s in the trading post with a VP V6 in it, hot and custom section i think,,, economy and power parts everywhere too
what about making a V6 Gemini or Datsun 1200ute keep it 4 cyl for a while to see if you like em,

Racecraft · 18-06-2005, 08:27 AM

Escort or a Datsun Sunny... The sunny gets the vote because you can pick up a decent one for next to nothing, more $$$ to play around with..

LuvinmyEB · 18-06-2005, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PULLY6

Is that an... invitation?

:

Actually we're tossing up whether to just keep the MkI because the body is perfect on that and the engine only needs some minor work, but it's only a 1300. Take what we can out of the Mk II's (running gear) and selling them, but only if they go to a good home.

An enthusiast on the board for example. :P

The MaDDeSTMaN · 18-06-2005, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PULLY6

Is that an... invitation?

:

Well, are you interested in a cheap Mk II Escort?

:

I'm still gutted that my 2L needs the sort of TLC I can't do myself, and it's already had a few modifications done to it (3.77:1 diff, short shift kit) so it could be quite a beast.

Then there's the 1600 2 door, body needs some work, engine also needs some attention, but on the plus side the suspension on that car is PERFECT (well, if you like it nice and stiff so you can corner hard without getting a shedload of bodyroll), and it would come up looking awesome, seeing as it's a sexy little 2 door (I LOVE the look of that little car, particularly with the 'ESCORT' stripe down the side and rear spoiler).

Some pictures of them both taken a while ago now:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...t/Twins002.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...theBeast02.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...theBeast03.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...theBeast04.jpg
(all before I put the front spoiler back on the 4 door)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...theBeast08.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4.../Spoilt005.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...reTwins002.jpg

And finally, some "action" shots:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...cort/Dusty.jpg
(The 4 door, 2L in action, checking out the traction co-efficient of the tyres on loose gravel)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4.../Cruise001.jpg
(The 2 door, 1600 in action, crusing down the freeway)

We don't really want to see either go, but as long as one or both ended up in good hands...

BTW, those tyres on the rear of the 2 door are 205s, and look how much room there still is for even wider rubber...