What car would you buy with $15k?

[Straight Success]

I had one of those... 02 GTP. Dean heard the horror stories.
That thing was falling apart by 100,000 miles, and I truly did my best to maintain it. The brakes were undersized (I had to upgrade to 04-spec), the suspension blew on all 4 corners, the engine had about 6 different major oil leaks, the electrical system was on the fritz, the transmission slipped, the already pathetic bolsters on the driver's seat were squashed... I was SO excited when I bought the car, and I was SO happy when I left it sitting dead at the Honda dealership with 1/3 of what I still owed on it in my pocket... driving away in my brand new Fit (with half the horsepower.)

Honestly, you beat the shit out of that car. You maintained it too, but it got an ass whipping. I see you post about the Fit, and I'm sure that taking an ass beating as well. However, you do stay on top of maintenance, and don't cheap out.

In reality though, that car wasn't built for people like you and I. The G8 was. The GTP was built for women or older men who do 5 mph over the speed limit to work everyday and to the occasional trip to the mall.

[deevergote]

I really didn't beat on the GTP. Gas was $4.25 for premium, and I was kinda broke (going through a divorce, not working all that much, bosses delaying payment...) I actually drove that thing pretty gently 90% of the time! The only beating it got was about 30,000 miles of driving per year. I had it for a year and a half, and put 53,000 miles on it.

[Straight Success]

I really didn't beat on the GTP. Gas was $4.25 for premium, and I was kinda broke (going through a divorce, not working all that much, bosses delaying payment...) I actually drove that thing pretty gently 90% of the time! The only beating it got was about 30,000 miles of driving per year. I had it for a year and a half, and put 53,000 miles on it.

I stand corrected then. I know you do drive a lot, mostly throughout the garden state. I don't take you for someone who does 60-65 mph on the highway. I always imagined you as a person who does about 75-80 mph, breaks hard, and is a constant lane changer. Don't ask why?

Back to Dean, I think that Pontiac went out with a bang with the G8. If the GXP isn't in the range, shoot for the GT. You might be impressed.

[Straight Success]

A good bang for your buck, and it tons of fun!

This Is It!

[Gemini]

The CTS is hardly my dream car... just the most suitable car for my wants and needs based on what I can (and want to) afford. It's the most power, luxury, and looks for the money, with a relatively low cost of ownership and a decent aftermarket (if I want to modify it... maybe a supercharger... )

The E39 fits all those for me. Maybe after i won one i can move on to another dream car. I try to keep my dream obtainable, no need to drool over a Lambo when i know i will never own one unless i win the lotto.

Another thing to consider is the condition of the cars at the prices you want. Remember that $14,000 M5 we found a while back? That thing had 180,000 miles on it. It'd probably cost another $10,000 in repairs in the next year!

The M5 we found was actually $9999 All the ones ive found fro under $15k has exceed 110k miles.

.

[Clean_4th gen]

05-06 Altima. Love them.

[AccordWarrior]

3. Fun? Ha! It's a muscle car with TONS of aftermarket support. I mean a small block 305 that weights roughly 2.25 tons that will keep up with the best of them; especially with some simple bolt-ons and headers. did I mention it's easy to do a burn out and drift due to the loads of torque from the small block V8.

Where are you getting your info? That car had the 4.6L modular motor. Ford never had a 305. Even the famed 5.0L was actually only 302 cubic inches.

[Wickit]

97 Toyota Supra (I think u can get em for that much??) if not like a 74 skyline. Or a like 00' - 07' Civic

[Straight Success]

Where are you getting your info? That car had the 4.6L modular motor. Ford never had a 305. Even the famed 5.0L was actually only 302 cubic inches.

I meant to type a 302 hp from a 281. It's a good chance while I was typing, I was thinking about Ford's 302. The 305 is a Chevy motor. My bad.

Edit: ...and just to add, the block that they used for the motor was the same casting used for the Mustang's that came with the 4.6L motors. They slapped on different heads, rods changed for a different stroke, different cam, but essentially the same block. Almost all small blocks have the same block, just different strokes. 281, 289, 302, essentially 4.6, 5.0, 5.4 all share the same block casting.

[accord93racer]

Are you willing to up a grand or two for the right car?

I've found a good amount of M5s for around $16-18k with under 95k miles. I'd like to purchase one but at this time in my life I just don't think I could afford the maintenance or repair bill if anything broke. Now if I was completely financially secure I would definitely buy an M5.

[deevergote]

Are you willing to up a grand or two for the right car?

I've found a good amount of M5s for around $16-18k with under 95k miles. I'd like to purchase one but at this time in my life I just don't think I could afford the maintenance or repair bill if anything broke. Now if I was completely financially secure I would definitely buy an M5.

I think I'd rather have an older M5 than the newer ones. The newer ones are SO computer-heavy that they're practically self-aware. That makes fixing certain things a bit more of a hassle. Hell, I know my old GTP was confusing as hell under the hood! (of course, going from N/A Honda inline 4 OHC engines to a supercharged GM V6 pushrod engine is quite a change!)
Unfortunately, the older M5s (I'm talking E28 and E34) are 1) old. and 2) not very impressive power-wise by today's standards. The E39 is by far the best looking, though.



Dean, you really would be best suited to an M5. It suits your style, has TONS of performance, and is generally respected by everyone. If you're confident that you'll be able to shoulder the burden of maintenance and repair (which WILL be pricey, even just for parts... not only is it BMW, but it's got that M badge on it!) then I say there's no point in even looking elsewhere. Anything else you get will be "good, but not an M5!"

[accord93racer]

I would have to agree with deev. It seems that you REALLY want an M5, so don't settle for something else. Believe me I've done that with two cars and wished I would have just saved my money up for what I really wanted.

[deevergote]

Spending a little more for a car that has a better chance of being reliable might not be unwise, either. A $19,000 M5 in good shape might be a better choice than a $15,000 M5 that's about to develop oil leaks and transmission issues.

[HenRoc]

e30 M3. One of my favorite BMWs. Ever. Just the fact that it's somewhat rare makes it a cool car to own.

Or



e46 M3. Second favorite BMW. Ever. They're plentiful which aight but I like to be on the rare side of things.

Not my meat though. Well done.

[Gemini]

I think I'd rather have an older M5 than the newer ones. The newer ones are SO computer-heavy that they're practically self-aware. That makes fixing certain things a bit more of a hassle. Hell, I know my old GTP was confusing as hell under the hood! (of course, going from N/A Honda inline 4 OHC engines to a supercharged GM V6 pushrod engine is quite a change!)
Unfortunately, the older M5s (I'm talking E28 and E34) are 1) old. and 2) not very impressive power-wise by today's standards. The E39 is by far the best looking, though.



Dean, you really would be best suited to an M5. It suits your style, has TONS of performance, and is generally respected by everyone. If you're confident that you'll be able to shoulder the burden of maintenance and repair (which WILL be pricey, even just for parts... not only is it BMW, but it's got that M badge on it!) then I say there's no point in even looking elsewhere. Anything else you get will be "good, but not an M5!"

You make a good point there Mike. I did that with the CG, didnt really like it but the price was right, it was clean with low miles and i needed a car after I sold the black CB to Gus so I bough it. I know you've read my threads about not having that connection with it and now that i might need i second tranny im ready to get rid of it forever but i want my next car to be something I really like but somewhat problem free (BMWs problem ree? ). Im trying not to just make an emotional decision here but emotions are winning. You know how obsessed i am with these damn E39 M5. The good thing is that alot of parts can be used from E39 540 or E38(not that much cheaper but thats an option)

The M5 would be a dream but after thinking this over last night I'll probably have to pass or purchase it as a 2nd car. If i could buy one from an enthusiast that did most of the maintenance and repairs i would feel better but buying one from a dealer is not sitting well with me. These suckers cost $1k for a DIY brake job and double that at the dealer Not to mention the carbon build up issues or Vanos issues. As i said i really factored in these things and I know I can afford it but i dont wanna blow ALL my raise money on car repair/maintenance. At this point even the E38 740 Sport is way cheaper to own and with a little bit of modding can be fun to drive too.

You are right about the TL though, i really feel its the best bang for my buck and it might be the winner..so lets see