I need a good platform to work from.

Here's the deal. I'm getting to the end of the life on my Integra, and I need some advice on where to go from here. I'm working on a budget of roughly $30,000. I want to end up with a car that not only looks good, but will run at least a 12 on the quarter mile. I'm trying to decide between starting with a muscle car base (Mustang GT/Camaro Z28), a sport base (Supra TT/300ZX TT/RX-7/EVO/STi), or a compact base (MR2/Celica Alltrac/Integra R)? Assuming that up to $30,000 total is fair game, which of the above, or any other car, would be the best bets for looks and, more importantly, speed? (Any make/model/year)

Wow this pretty tough because a lot of the cars on your list can offer you what you like. I would choose the EVO, because of it's ease to hit low 12s and high 11s. Also the handling of the EVO is better (on par with RX-7) than all the cars on your list. No car on your list can stop as fast and short, so the EVO has the greatest combination of ALL AROUND PERFORMANCE and potential in my opinion. The RX-7 is also a great choice, but it's getting up there in age. The Camaro Z28/Mustang Cobra (forget the GT, get a used Cobra) our also great drag racing platforms. The Supra is the dyno and highway queen, when properly modified (very expensive though) the Supra has the potential to make all of these cars (including the Cobra) see it's tail lights from a roll. So in the end in MY OPINION I believe the EVO offers you the greatest combination of these factors. You can pick up a brand new RS model for $26,000-$27,000 and a GSR for $29,999. You can also pick up an used 2003 EVO for $24,000 to $26,000, if you really look around you may find some for less.

You can pick up a brand new RS model for $26,000-$27,000 and a GSR for $29,999.

I agree that the Evo is probably the best way to go...newer than the other big Japanese TT cars of the early mid 90's...less useage on them/ie beating...and great aftermarket already there.


What GSR (I assume you mean Integra) is 30k? As far as I know...none.

evos are unreliable and break too easily undre stress

I would suggest a Cobra or a LS1 F-body (camaro/trans am), anyone who says you can't make them handle doesn't know what they're talking about.

evos are unreliable and break too easily undre stress

I know I hate on the Evo because of it's clutch/tranny issues, but aside from that, it's a very solid car. Upgrade to an aftermarket clutch, Mitsu will fix the grinding 5th gear under warranty, and you're set.

anyone who says you can't make them handle doesn't know what they're talking about.

We arent saying you cant MAKE them handle...we are just saying (most of the time) that they dont handle well out of the box.

The other cars ie the STi, Evo or RX7 for instance all handle SO much better out of the box than the F-bodies do

If it's an IRS Cobra...then it's ok...not the best in the world...but better than what the GT's have

u can basically get any car into the 12s with 30k.... it comes down to wat car u like the most.. i like camaros but you may like imports like the evo or sumthin... its really up to you

I'm voting for the LS1 F-body, too. 500 hp with bolt ons isn't a small feat.

evos are unreliable and break too easily under stress


thats a cheap shot so u could tell him to buy sum camaro or something. even though they are not particularly reliable, i will offer a solution... go with one of the toyotas - as far as strength and reliability, toyota is the one to go for. a 3s-gte can handle more power than the other jap 2litre 4 bangers (4g63, sr20det, ej20t, etc.). if u want to argue me on this point go ahead i have way 2 much evidence backing me up. the supra TT is awesome, people say for the money you only get 320hp, but considering for US$1000 u can have 400hp, its a bargain... the engine, gearbox (especially 6 spd), diff - in fact the entire drivetrain can safely handle ~500rwhp, SAFELY. check out www.to4r.com (http://www.to4r.com) for hardcore supras. yeah so thats my :2cents: ... for now

I'm voting for the LS1 F-body, too. 500 hp with bolt ons isn't a small feat.

supra RZ can definately do 450 with bolt ons, probably 500, and it has 2 less cylinders and 2700cc less displacement

Here's the deal. I'm getting to the end of the life on my Integra, and I need some advice on where to go from here. I'm working on a budget of roughly $30,000. I want to end up with a car that not only looks good, but will run at least a 12 on the quarter mile. I'm trying to decide between starting with a muscle car base (Mustang GT/Camaro Z28), a sport base (Supra TT/300ZX TT/RX-7/EVO/STi), or a compact base (MR2/Celica Alltrac/Integra R)? Assuming that up to $30,000 total is fair game, which of the above, or any other car, would be the best bets for looks and, more importantly, speed? (Any make/model/year)


Make: Buick

Model: Grand National

Year: 1987

downs. The car kinda has a handeling problem untill you put some money in the suspension.

Ups. less than 2k will get you 11's on pump gas all day long.

Indeed, Turbo Buick >> Supra

Indeed, Turbo Buick >> Supra

u mean GN > supra for a cheap drag racer.... otherwise i think the supra wins in every other department... enough to trade off that extra second which supras can easily do anyway

Well, the GN's specialty is drag racing, and I don't think even the Supra can top it in that department.

supra RZ can definately do 450 with bolt ons, probably 500, and it has 2 less cylinders and 2700cc less displacement

How is having 2 less cylinders and 2700cc less displacement an advantage?
It still chews up as much fuel as a LS1, weighs more, and takes up more space.

What GSR (I assume you mean Integra) is 30k? As far as I know...none.

The EVO GSR list price is under $30K, in most cases with dealer add ons and what not the price will tip the scales at over $30K for a brand new EVO GSR, but there are some dealers that offer good prices.

How is having 2 less cylinders and 2700cc less displacement an advantage?
It still chews up as much fuel as a LS1, weighs more, and takes up more space.


i never said advantage in fact i was just pointing out the odds were stacked against it. and fuel isnt bad, if u thrash it 24/7 of course it will be, but if u cruise and keep it off boost when u dont need it then fuel econ. should be good. V8's drink pretty hard, especially when modded but fuel economy isnt that important anyway

actually an LS1 can get over 30 mpg highway because of the short 6th gear. Its a major misconception that all V8's have horrible gas mileage.

actually an LS1 can get over 30 mpg highway because of the short 6th gear. Its a major misconception that all V8's have horrible gas mileage.

every car has good milage in a 6th gear cruise

well im in favor of the 300zxTT or rx7TT or supraTT because you said you wanted looks also. for an all around car out of the box i would go with anyone of these. me having a bias opinion i would go with a 300zxTT.

300zxTT runs high 13's stock so it can hit 12's with stage III. ECU, intake, cat-back will add about 85+ horses. all three items will cost a little over a grand. plus, you can pick a very nice z32TT up for about $13,000, this leaves you with $17,000 to play around with. you can have a full engine rebuild with all the lighter and stronger whirly bits and upgraded turbos and punch out 700+ hp. handling also doesnt fall to far behind the rx7 and mr2's. just my opinion.

He makes a good point, and that is spending the money wisely...I would still go with the Evo for handling, price, and ease of getting it to the times you want...if you really want better times than yes grab a TT ZX or supra

Well, do you just wanna run the quarter mile or do you wanna do some highway racing too? The Evo is just fine for quarter mile runs, it'll take you to 12's easily, and it's got unbeatable handling too.

actually an LS1 can get over 30 mpg highway because of the short 6th gear. Its a major misconception that all V8's have horrible gas mileage.

but they usually do, more cylinders usually means more fuel. the vette gets good highway mileage because of its 6th gear ratio, and good aerodynamics. its also only driving two wheels instead of all four. the ration on the vette is perfect for our highways. the engine rpm is barely above idle, where it has just enough power to keep it going, and there isnt much air resisting it compared to most cars. suvs have a lot more drag, so if it had the same engine, it would probably do 3-4 mpg worse on the highway, bringing it down to 24-25 mpg. friction will effect mpg too, like an awd vehicle is more likely gonna have more friction than a two wheel drive car. ever noticed how much worse a trucks mpg is with the 4wd on? its diff to the awd system, which more efficient, but still has some friction to it, same idea. it also depends on how you drive it, and where you drive it, speeds can vary a lot. the srt-4 is said to have 22/30 mpg, but a lot of owners seem to disagree, even when they dont floor it. its because of how they normally drive, and the area they drive around.

Let's say I'm interested in a balance of quarter mile and highway. Something a little more well-rounded.

any of the japanese high end cars. used NSX, 300zxTT, FD, supraTT. they all can give you what you want. EVO, anything. it really just depends on the styling you like because all these examples can do what you want. but a lower end 300zxTT or FD can really put a beating into alot of these cars just because they are cheaper and can have mroe money sunk into them.

How much does a used NSX cost over there?
They are fairly expensive aren’t they? If you can afford one of those you could probably afford a Porsche 911 or Corvette ZR-1. Certainly I would recommend the latter for overall 1\4 mile vs highway performance.

I've seen the NSX go for under 21k. It was an older one with surprisingly not too many miles for that year anyways.

I would say 3rd gen. RX7 or MK IV Supra. They're just plain bad ass in every department. The FD has the upper hand on handling but the supra is straight up f@#ken fast.

I am tellin ya, Turbo Buick... Honestly, they can handle, they used the same body in NASCAR to turn corners at 180+ MPH. Also look back and think reeallll hard. When was the last time on the steet you went racing and was turning hardcore around corners and all of that crap. If you accually do this, I feel sorry for your family when they scrape you out of that sparco chair.

The supra is TOOO much money in total. Full coverage on the Buick i garuntee is half of the supra.


Also not to mention the feeling you get when you stomp a VIPER GTS in the ground at the track with a Buick.

here ive seen a few nsx's go for 15-20g's they are realitivly cheap but hard to find, ive been in one and i have nothing great to say about it, exept it was noisy as hell and kinda scary to be in with big trucks all around, no worse that a really low 240sx however, but yeah anyways i would say rx7tt, supratt, or 300zxtt (<--my personal favorite), you could always drop the whole 30k on a r32-r33 skyline however.

Eheh, you guys suppose that having a big pair of snails stuffing fuel-air mixture into the Supra's six cylinders would have an equally adverse effect on fuel mileage?

Seriously, think things out thoroughly. GM did very thorough testing of the LS1 engine to make sure that it wouldn't be a gas guzzler so that the Corvette, Camaro, and Firebird could all avoid the gas guzzler tax. Unless you're burying the throttle in the floormat everytime you leave a stoplight, a Cammy or Firechicken will reward you with 20-25mpg city and 30 highway, which is damned respectable for anything with more than 300hp.

There's a lot of myths surrounding the F-bodies, perpetuated by ricers who can't fathom that a car can be advanced even when using older technological concepts. The last Camaros to leave the assembly line weighed in at 3554lbs. With the factory under-rating of 325hp, that means the Camaro has a power to weight ratio of 10.94:1. Now, the Supra had 320hp factory and weighed in at 3515lb, thus the Supra's power to weight ratio is 10.98:1.

In other words, power to weight ratio favors the Camaro.

Gotta love fun with numbers.

Not to mention that the Camaro makes the bulk of its power at a lower RPM than the Supra, so it doesn't need to rev as high to gain speed.

I'm in the same boat as you are and it is so hard to decide with all the awsome cars out there. im looking at more like 20k for a purchace price but i have hookups on dealer auctions so im looking at a 350z,1s300,evo,bmw3,c5vette.

I'm going to build a track beast out of a newer car so these are the cars i'm considering, I'm not big on domestics besides corvettes but from the sounds of it you just want a drag car that looks good so i'd say you should look at vetts,svtcobras,or supras but IMO supras are very overpiced your looking at 23k for a 93 tt you can get a 2000 corvette for that price 385bhp compared to the supras 320bhp.

good luck and just get what you like if your planning on modding the car then you can just upgrade what you think the car is lacking and you can make any car half decent like that other guy said just get a buick.