First and second gen Honda fits, one of the most rigid chassis to ever be put in a mainstream production car, cheap as hell, indestructible. Parts are literally everywhere for these cars. It's essentially a smaller more rigid Civic.
@@twinscrollbugeye 1st Gen Honda Insight is also a good choice, but the prices of those are starting to go crazy high so the. Fit is the better alternative.
I have a second gen fit, it might be slow as hell almost everywhere, but when i get to a twisty road, it feels super fast and takes turns at higher-than-recommended speeds
Couple you guys missed: cobalt ss (cheap, turbo or supercharged, and easy to find in a Manuel under 5k) C4 corvette: harder to find under 5k and I’d rather kms than try to find a stick under 5 but they’re out there (at least down here in gods country) and they’re fun as hell
Great line up, there is the perfect amount of affordable and fun without being obscure and or boring! Y’all always strike a good balance, thanks for the video guys!
I’m so glad the V6 coupe 6MT got some recognition. They’re a hecking blast. They don’t have as much aftermarket as a Civic Si, but you get a lot more power initially than a Civic. But for 5k, you’re gonna have to add another $600-1000 to the price because most of those Accord V6s will not have had a timing belt change. So if you want to hoon it, get that belt done. And if you can do the timing yourself, that’s some savings! Also, if you can find a Cobalt SS as well for under 5k, that could be another cool track option. That or a ZX2 Coupe!
I absolutely enjoy terrorizing my local track days with my 90 Si rocking a f.7FD and some koni yellows wrapped with some NT01 or Azenis 615k. You dance around everyone so cheerfully and still get 40mpg
Focus SVT works really well for track and AutoX. Some parts are getting harder to find and some people want a lot for money for them too. Run it stock and upgrade the suspension and brakes so you can run corners faster!
3:15 Thanks to companies like Moss Motors and Victoria British, MGBs, Sprites, and Spitfires have phenomenal parts availability. Arguably more than a Datsun Z. So even if it’s a millennium old at this point, British roadsters are still valid candidates if you’ve got the patience and resto skills.
First gen imprezas can be had for under 5k and are extremely easy to mod, and, lighter than you think. The outback sport (my car) is 2700lbs. Awd with a 5 speed. Easily boostable with wrx or sti parts as well
what about doing a video series where viewers send in their cars with their mod list and y’all appraise them using your knowledge of the dumpster fire that is the current used car market
I've been saying the B15 spec V is great ever since I bought one. V6 camrys and Accords sound good on paper, but they usually have suuuupper high gears for highway cruising and MPG's. They have a lot of power but they really arent that fast because of the big gap between gears. The 90's accords have two (2) overdrive gears
Hey pretty experienced track guy here, if you want to get a miata the NC miata is actually not a bad option if you’re on a budget. Literally nobody wants them so I can usually find decent or exceptional ones in my area for ~7k.
Sure, in your area. In my area (upstate NY) you can't usually touch any Miata in decent shape for under $10K. NCs go for around $15K. I can literally get an early new edge Mustang Cobra for less than an NC.
best track car imo is the ek civic, very easy to find a beat up hatch for 5 and a nice coupe/sedan for 5. honda still has a bunch of stuff for them that's not discontinued yet (unlike the efs, egs and integra), and you still see them pretty commonly at the junkyard.
350 370Z an old C5 it's pretty cheap if you're willing to do a manual swap. Third and fourth gen Camaro. Anything that has good brakes it's a rabbit-hole
Volkswagen GTIs are fantastic for this and I frequently see mk5s in this range with mk6s getting close. FCPEuro’s lifetime warranty replacement parts, which includes brake pads and rotors, make them incredibly cheap to run. Aftermarket support is ridiculous with seemingly endless options for suspension and power upgrades. Getting one to run reliably is also a lot less effort than swapping the engine on a Nissan.
Mr-2s are in the $15000 price range. 3rd gen mr2 spyders don't go below $8000 in working condition. Unless you know of some open listings cause I'm always looking
As a long time aw11 owner, have had 1 spyder. The spyder is definitely a better chassis for track racing. Longer wheel base and lighter straight out of the box.
1986-1997 Ford aspire is basically a Honda crx with a lower center of gravity stock and the new 2.3 eco-boost matches well with the stock 4 or built 5 speed you can get for relatively reasonable prices.
The SVT motor was great little motor. It has nothing to do with a fusion motor, that's the later 05+ ST model and they have less horsepower than the SVT. The Altima SE-R was available with an optional LSD and it has a 6 speed, different suspension and forged 18 inch wheels (SE has 17s and 5 speed, a bit less power + no LSD option). I owned an SVT and driven a SE-R and both of these cars are way better than you guys realize it lol. The drawback of the SVT is the high seating position. I've driven a 2nd gen TC and it is not fun to drive at all. I drove the sportiest one. I think it's called the release series and it feels floaty and imprecise, what I would expect a Camry to feel like.
I'm shocked you guys didn't mention any Subaru's, I know the WRX and the STI especially are way overpriced nowadays but if you can get one clapped just to take it to the track. You have a boosted, all-wheel drive, lightweight, reliable, beater that, as long as you don't touch, won't skimp out on you. Hell any of the older legacies with the 2.2's would do fine just adding a turbo and some stiff suspension.
A second gen forester is the exact same as an Impreza mechanically, and there was a turbo 2.5 version. That’s basically a WRX, and the WRX parts all fit onto the motor and suspension
@@carfriendsimulator9981 i think its important to remember that the WRX is still a sports car. its cheap(ish), but still needs special care, and once its in the ground, it tends to stay there.
@@HAV0X_ Thats why you get a Forester, its the same drivetrain, but its under a wagon with daily driven miles, and not idiots-pulling-on-highways miles
A good list to start by dont know 100% what 5k gets you in the US, but imo it should be RWD just cuz😁: Toyota MR-S/MR2 Roadster, great car, parts are available compared to the older ones, its slow-ish but so what? Ford Mustang SN95-New Edge V8 manuel should be easily doable, would be a little rough but plenty good for track use. BMW E36 or E46 just any 320/325/328/330 manuel. Its what i have, all tough i am engine swapping mine 😏, but the stock engines should be good for some track use. Mazda RX8 would be great, but only if you are gonna swap it down the road(LS?) when it blows up which is out of the realm of most people, but if one has the will you will have a amazing car. Mazda MX5 Miata, i dont like them but its personel preference. It has tons of support, and is used by many.
@@p0intdk yep, knew somebody with a ls swapped rx7. Definitely handled worse. Might as well just buy a corvette or a new edge mustang. But don’t let it stop you from doing what you want.
There werent many SVTs made (roughly 12k total i think), and as far as I know there isnt a lot of shit that shares parts/engine with it. I would have given my left nut for one at 18 when I had a regular zx5. Considered getting one years later but decided on building out a Ford Festiva for track use instead. It still isn't done. Soon.
Aw11 is a great solid car, the 4ag indestructible if you're not too much of a moron.. hahaha They're too damn heavy though, that's my only gripe. I love them though. 26 years owner and enthusiast. I did have 5 3/4 aw11's, but due to health issues sold a few. I still own 2, the 1st one I bought in 1995 and one I bought in 2006. Original one is street, though in hibernation for a restore one day. The other is my mental health pill, track car.
I bought an ex toyota celica from a race series at long beach about 8 years ago. Fully race prepared by TRD in LA. That was exactly $5k. Stock engine but the rest is race prepared. Best cheap fun you can have with your clothes on!! I have to trailer it as its not street legal.
You can buy those Nissan Sentra B13's in Mexico for cheap they stopped making them till 2017 they're called Nissan Tsuru down there all of the taxi drivers in Mexico drive them I remember getting in one last year.
