A conundrum if you will.....

[Salted_Chipmunk]

I was at work today and i was juggling a couple of thoughts around my head as to what to do with my current automobile situation.

I currently own a CRX which delights me to no end when im driving it bar one problem, needs more power. I love this car to bits and i don't want to sell it but i really need more power, its just too damn slow. So i thought, well i could save some cash , maybe do the Vtec swap (extra 20kw at the wheels) but at what cost.

It would cost me around 5g's to get a front cut and have the engine put in, as i have no where to store the car at my place while the swap was being done and i want the thing to be done right so labour takes half of that 5g's right there.

Turbo? A bolt on system on the stock internals would help my cause for around 6-7g's on the ZC engine i have in currentley running around 7psi.

If i want more boost, its gonna be more like 15 grand.

So i figure its gonna cost me at least 5 grand for a bit of a power increase.

Then in come the suspension/brake mods i'd need to do to bring it up to par. Say another 2'gs on top of that.

So 7-9 grand for a poket rocket.

Then i thought about selling it and buying something new/er. MAybe a r32 skyline or a 300zx, though i want a turbo and 300zx wont have a turbo for the price that i am looking at.

OR my preference, but again i dont have the space to do this, i woul dlove to but at this point in time it isn't feasible.

Buy a bike (old 250cc thingy) ride around on that for 6 months whilst saving my arse off, buy a Mk1 Escort, drop a turbo silvia engine and running gear in and get the interior done.


I am totally stuck between these choices.

Little help???

[Spingo]

I'd get rid of it in favour of something else. A skyline isn't too bad, but if I was going to go for a Nissan, I'd personally go for a Silvia. A bit cheaper, and you can do just as much with them, if not more. They are alos a lot smaller than a Skyline. While not as small as yoru CRX, still a lot smaller that your "two-door tarago" :p

Of course, you could go for a Soarer or Supra....

[Salted_Chipmunk]

True, though i like the skylines better than the soarers, Supra would be awesome but a little outta my price range. I could get a NA one but i definatley want a turbo in my next car.

Soarer, yeah that would be nice, but all of the ones that i have seen are either bog standard or super-riced up galore.

Seeing as i dont want the rice look, the standard look of the soarer doesnt really do it for me.

If i was gonna go small nissan i'd go the 180sx, i prefer them over the silvias as it seems everyman and their dog has got one.

Other that there is really nothing else that tickles my fancy.

I did find a nice skyline though thats near me. http://www.tradingpost.com.au/hotlists/photo_display2.asp?ID=W5986201978&publication=B&page=http://www.tradingpost.com.au/hotlists/clients/photo_hotlist/photo_hotlist.asp&hotlistid=B052&Pg=2&keyword_string=&optLetter=

[hazza]

...duh


if you want a faster car, add some stickers, paint it red and put a new exhaust on it.

[kré]

if you're gonna spend that much money, my only advice is to get something that isn't FWD. when you get more power into it, you'll have a lot more fun with an RWD car, or even an AWD, like an older liberty or something.

[Salted_Chipmunk]

Yeah i know thats why i wanted a Skyline or a 180sx.

Im looking to spend around 17000, still thinking about it though for the time being.

[scathing]

$17,000 will get you a pretty nice Nissan 180SX, which will probably already have a whole raft of modifications. That's a double edged sword, of course, but it means it'll go (for a while).

My only requirement for a car was that it would be RWD. I almost bought a turbo (late model 200SX), but in the end I decided to pick up something bigger, heavier, and slower. :)

My car goes adequately, though. If I get the urge to make power out of it, I'll consider turboing it. It'll cost a mint, but I figure it'll be worth it.

There's nothing inherently wrong with making big power (relatively speaking) in a front driver. Just look at the Integra Type-R, or an Alfa xxx GTA (either the 147 or the 156). Its just that you need to have a better base to work from than your average front driving econobox.

It just depends on how fast you want to go, and what your requirements are. In the end, a car that powers the rear wheels will be a better drive (especially in your price bracket, since you can't afford the ubernice front drivers).

If you're willing to do "light" mods (even an engine swap) then you could keep your CRX. You could swap out for a VTEC engine and then tune that, and you can make some alright numbers for it, without overwhelming the fronts. Turboing, and thus adding a whole bunch of midrange torque to the front hoops (especially for suspension geometry that wasn't designed for it), is a short route to torque steer and will kill the handling that made the CRX so popular.

If your idea of "fast" is only in a straight line (in which case I suppose you'd hate a CRX anyway) then there are plenty of big-mumbo turbo drag Integras out there, so it is possible.

Given your "delight" in the inherent qualities of the CRX (which is good handling and a relatively willing engine) in your position I'd buy a 180SX or a Silvia. Turbo, either way. Nicely balanced cars, relatively light, and given the popularity of the engine there are plenty of tuners out there that can make some decent power for you, for not many dollars.

The Soarer / Skylines are a bit larger, and so dimensions and mass count against it. Their engines can be made to generate good numbers too, but you can probably get similar or better power to weight ratios for the same cost in modifications to the Silvia, and enjoy the lower inertia while chucking it around corners.

An alterative, if you want to go "practical", is an old Liberty RS Turbo. 4 doors, big car, but grip and grunt in adundance. The engine is also a known quantity, so tuning won't be a major issue.