hey /o/
im in the market for a vehicle that has 4 seats, available with a m/t, and is a proven drivers car that i could drive every day for under 10k usd. some preferences of mine would be that the vehicle be rwd or awd, a hatchback, and turbocharged but it really doesnt mater as long as the ride is enjoyable. i am a bmw technician so repair isnt as big of a deal for me, especially for bmw's. ive compiled a small list of potential vehicles already and would love to hear some suggestions, thanks everyone.
current list: ae86, s13, s14, fc rx7, r32 gtst, legacy gt, 2.5rs impreza, e21, e30, e36, e46, e28, e34, e39, e24, golf, scirocco, classic mini, bmw mini, eclipse gsx, cressida, is300, sc300, volvo 240, classic beetle
bumpity
bamp
E39 540i
Performs great out of the box (although I guess it really came "out of the box" a decade back) and plenty of room for modification later on. GOAT interior. RWD. 6 speed.
Since you're a tech I imagine you know this but replace the VANOS seals if it hasn't been done already.
>>14006350
ive been thinking of that actually. one of my instructors for dealer training swears by the e39 and claims its the best car bmw ever made.
>>14005376
What car is this actually? I can't tell without the bodywork
>>14005376
Lancer Evolution.
>>14006449
I think it's an asphalt Modified.
Volvo 240. You only need a hammer to fix it, RWD (though open diff, easily replaceable with a G80 locker), comes in turbo sedan, coupe (most valuable) and wagon (2nd most sought after) and parts are tremendously vast and cheap.
I drive one, and have been. After an engine swap (because turbo) I have a blast in it all the time, even with the crap manual transmission. Pic is mine.
Plus not to mention, the 240 is initially dirt cheap if you know what to look for as well.
>>14006579
I can confirm this first hand. Comfy levels and reliability can only be described as near perfect. Outstanding engineering for the most part on these cars, great aftermarket too.
>>14006593
I wouldn't say great aftermarket, but IPD makes some pretty decent stuff for Volvos. I had my exhaust built by the now defunct R Sport International, and that made the little baby TD04H 15g spool up to full boost at only 2500 RPM lol
>>14006607
I disagree, there are plenty of great suspension kits out there and performance parts are easy to come by thanks to ipd and the several decades of cars that were made with interchangeable parts.
>>14006649
That's a good point actually. With a little work from your end and an adapter kit from YoshiFab you can even put in a t5 world class transmission from a FoxBody mustang incase the weeny m46 trans keeps blowing up from all the boost.
BTW, what do/did you drive?
ive been poking around here for about an hour now, seems like a good place to ask.
i found a mecedes benz 300D in decent shape, has a little electrical issue (dash lights wont come on) owner hasnt had the time to figure it out, but says hes looked it over good and everything els is fine, minor rust in one spot.
hes asking 1500 for it, its got 167k miles on it, paint looks good, interior looks good and it hasnt been sitting, should i go for it?
im not a car mechanic, im an aviation mechanic so id assume my skill set somewhat translated a little bit in terms of fixing the cars electrical snafu right?
tl:dr, should i go for it?
please excuse me as im not familiar with this boards customs.
(pic related, same color even)
>>14006666
Nice quads senpai. I drive an '86 244 with an M46. So far it's been a good car to me despite spending most of its time on jack stands
>>14006857
From what limited research I've done in regards to old Mercedes they're plenty reliable IF the previous owner took care of it well. Diesels are bulletproof but understand with these old barges you're not getting anywhere fast (although they are pretty damn comfortable).
>>14007344
i live 3min from school, and 7min from work.
its literally a 20min drive max a day car lol going 45 at the fastest.
i just cant stand to share a car with my wife anymore, and this car caught my eye.
>>14006415
I can tell you this, though. The M54 is a better engine than the M62. If you don't mind 60 less horsepower, get a 530i, the closer to 2003 the better. The M62 is great but it's a little bit more temperamental than the M54.
>>14006415
It really is. Driver-focused, yet comfy as fuck. One thing is that the touring with manual transmission isn't super common, it seems that a lot more sedans had it than wagons.
>>14007674
id say go for it, if you have basic electrical diagnostic skills, which im sure you do, it shouldnt be too hard
