Fast cars of the mid 80's to 90's

[freakstatus]

Hey everyone,

I'm looking at taking the MM off the road for next winter and need some ideas on respectable cars for less than 6 grand.

Right now I'm looking at the 85-87 Monte Carlo SS and 88-92 Mustang 5.0L...both can be had for 3-6K.

Thoughts?

[2,4shofast]

Does it have to be RWD?

[Breadfan]

Other fast cars from the 80s and early 90s...

- Taurus SHO
- Buick Grand National
- Dodge Omni Shelby GHLS (yeah didn't see that coming!)
- Corvette (but hard to find that cheap)
- Camaro

Plus some foreign cars:
- MR2 Turbo (early 90's)
- 3000gt/dodge stealth (early 90's)

[freakstatus]

RWD would be preferable as well as domestic, but nothings out of the question...

If I bought a GN....the MM would be back on the roads..LOL, the SHO is a possibility.

[2,4shofast]

Breadfan already beat me to it...I very partial to the SHO so that would be my choice and you can get them now for next to nothing. I have a lot of extra go fast part lying around as well ;)

[Zack]

By Thanksgiving of this year, MM prices will be in the 6-9k range ALL DAY LONG.

I would hold out til then :up:

[Breadfan]

RWD would be preferable as well as domestic, but nothings out of the question...

If I bought a GN....the MM would be back on the roads..LOL, the SHO is a possibility.

How about the Omni?

http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2667814

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shelby_GLHS

[ImpalaSlayer]

By Thanksgiving of this year, MM prices will be in the 6-9k range ALL DAY LONG.

I would hold out til then :up:

you make me sad very sad :bigcry:

[Raudermaster]

Out of the list Breadfan did, I'd take the SHO (since I had one.) It's FWD(good in snow) and if you can find an MTX they're even quicker. I've had mine to 120-140 with ease. Gotta love a 7300 redline. Like our cars, they scream in the higher RPM's. Not to mention you can find them at great prices, usually with extras too.

[xopher]

taking the MM off the road for next winter and need some ideas on respectable cars for less than 6 grand
I moved away from the intention of being fast to the intention of being reliable and controllable in dozens of snowstorms. 98 Cherokee 4x4 was the second smartest vehicle purchase I ever made, after the 300A obviously. The Jeep nudged out the old second place, which was an 85 Cutlass Supreme I bought from my brother for $1.00 USD. The Olds, despite being a bit torque-y in the rear, it was a champ in the snow.

But I like that Omni idea.. Compact Sleeper Coupe :)

[Joe Walsh]

Hey everyone,

I'm looking at taking the MM off the road for next winter and need some ideas on respectable cars for less than 6 grand.

Right now I'm looking at the 85-87 Monte Carlo SS and 88-92 Mustang 5.0L...both can be had for 3-6K.

Thoughts?

The fuelie 5.0 Mustangs are sweet! You make them SO fast for so little $$!

My carburated 85 5.0 would eat 85-87 Monte Carlo SS alive....and the fuelies are even faster!

[Taemian]

Heya bro,

I think most people are missing the point about it being a "winter" car. To match your "recent developments", I say get an ex-RCMP Crown Vic for the crappy season. You'll always be familiar with how it handles, it has LOTS OF ROOM for, oh, stuff ( ;) ) and cheap to get.

Sure, gas mileage isn't great, but Stangs and Carlos aren't any better. Stangs here in the wet season are pointless; snow is even worse. Remember, I just took my CVPI up to Vernon on the Coquihalla with all seasons, and got by no problems. Snows would've been better, but I had chains in the trunk just in case. And any parts you have extra (like the stock MM swaybars you'll have after you upgrade to Addcos) can be swapped over. Watch for some unmarked, non-white models, throw on some cheapo full size hubcaps ---- and you're done! Remember, this is NOT the car you want to be throwing money at....save that for your Black beauty!

[Taemian]

Oh yeah, SHO's are money pits. Check out the SHO club site. Parts are getting harder to find used, new parts prices are $$$. Crown Vic parts are dirt cheap. I should take you for a spin in my CVPI, it has the MM airbox/MAF upgrade, and a reflashed chip from Reinhart.

[Breadfan]

The fuelie 5.0 Mustangs are sweet! You make them SO fast for so little $$!

My carburated 85 5.0 would eat 85-87 Monte Carlo SS alive....and the fuelies are even faster!

And reliable if taken care of, my 1990 GT has 205k on it all original drivetrain and runs super

[hdwrenchtx]

had a 91 and 92 LX 5.0 notchback 5 speed both bought new... fun cars

only cost like 15k brand new.

those were the days

[BAD MERC]

Toyota Supra. 5 speed preferably with a targa top.

[Raudermaster]

Oh yeah, SHO's are money pits. Check out the SHO club site. Parts are getting harder to find used, new parts prices are $$$. Crown Vic parts are dirt cheap. I should take you for a spin in my CVPI, it has the MM airbox/MAF upgrade, and a reflashed chip from Reinhart.


Not if you know where to go. :up:

[freakstatus]

Ok...here we go..

http://vancouver.craigslist.ca/car/592215618.html

328K though....hmm tranny has been rebuilt.

[Raudermaster]

That guy must be on crack, or is that Canadian money. No way he's going to get $4k for an SHO with 328k on it. Not to mention it looks gay.

[freakstatus]

That guy must be on crack, or is that Canadian money. No way he's going to get $4k for an SHO with 328k on it. Not to mention it looks gay.

LOL..what model year(s) would you recommend?

[Raudermaster]

I actually like the '89-'91's, but they are harder to come by. The most common are the '92'-'95's. How much are you looking to spend? My friend has an '89 that's completely re-done, and he's looking to sell it.

[larryo340]

The fuelie 5.0 Mustangs are sweet! You make them SO fast for so little $$!

My carburated 85 5.0 would eat 85-87 Monte Carlo SS alive....and the fuelies are even faster!

The 5.0's were pretty quick stock, and more reliable to boot


How about the Omni?


Good luck on finding a Omni GLHS :rolleyes: that was one car that surprised many people. :burnout:

[Raudermaster]

Another one that's a great sleeper is an Isuzu Impulse, but like Larry said about the Omni, good luck on the search.

[freakstatus]

I actually like the '89-'91's, but they are harder to come by. The most common are the '92'-'95's. How much are you looking to spend? My friend has an '89 that's completely re-done, and he's looking to sell it.

Probably won't really be serious until the fall...if I get something at all.

I've always loved these since they first came out:

http://vancouver.craigslist.ca/car/595870383.html

[larryo340]

You could try to find a eary Ford Probe GT turbo, the ones with the turbo 4. Those were also quick off the showroom floor.

[Raudermaster]

IIRC, the only Cobra available in the Fox Body years was the '93's. I've always been a Fox fan myself, I really want to find the nothback's. (So much sexier.)

[Taemian]

You could try to find a eary Ford Probe GT turbo, the ones with the turbo 4. Those were also quick off the showroom floor.

Had an 89 Turbo...torque steer was terrible, 5 spd trans are next to impossible to find, unless you've got 3-4k sitting around.

[Taemian]

That guy must be on crack, or is that Canadian money. No way he's going to get $4k for an SHO with 328k on it. Not to mention it looks gay.

Ummm, you might want to step out of NavelGazing USA for a second and realize that the Canadian dollar is currently worth more than the US dollar, and has been sitting at parity for awhile. Thanks for proving the stereotype.;)

[Peace2Peep]

I can't believe no one has called these...

GMC Cyclone and Typhoon!

All wheel Drive Twin-turbo baby!

[Aren Jay]

http://www.freemanmotor.com/portland/vehicle.php?vid=3480&recs=,3865,3335,3534,3864,3776 ,3628,3480

http://www.freemanmotor.com/bend/vehicle.php?vid=2756&recs=,3738,3802,3803,3826,3623 ,3877,3825,3880,3810,2756,3657

[ryanstickney1]

Go with the Fox Body Mustang, When you're done with it, you can turn it into a Factory Five Cobra Replica like mine.;)

[magindat]

88 Starion/Conquest.

2.6L Turbo 4V 197HP (Stock). Beat Mustang 5.0's of it's time...Ask me how I know!!!:D

http://www.motoringjstyle.com/art/market0307/88mitsubishistarion.jpg

[Breadfan]

I can't believe no one has called these...

GMC Cyclone and Typhoon!

All wheel Drive Twin-turbo baby!

Good call I had nearly forgotten those :burnout:

[ckadiddle]

Having driven an 80s Monte carlo SS some back then, I think that's what really made me want a Marauder. Mustangs are fun, but they are a little small interior-wise for my taste.

[Mike Poore]

I ordered and drove 100,000+ miles, a Feb. build 88 5.0 LX (before the rev limiters and HP drop).

It would smoke just about anything (stock) on the road, including Corvettes. However, be aware, that it's no hero on snow covered roads, although I drove it 5 winters. The only issue was the heater core, and repair required removal of the *%^&$# dash. (don't forget the *^&%$# 13mm bolt that held the whole &*^%$# thing together, located at the most impossible *^&%$# location under the steering column.
Ask me how I know......:argh:

[magindat]

I ordered and drove 100,000+ miles, a Feb. build 88 5.0 LX (before the rev limiters and HP drop).

It would smoke just about anything (stock) on the road, including Corvettes. However, be aware, that it's no hero on snow covered roads, although I drove it 5 winters. The only issue was the heater core, and repair required removal of the *%^&$# dash. (don't forget the *^&%$# 13mm bolt that held the whole &*^%$# thing together, located at the most impossible *^&%$# location under the steering column.
Ask me how I know......:argh:

So, Mike, how do you feel about fox body dashboards?! :laugh:

[Raudermaster]

Good call I had nearly forgotten those :burnout:

Have you checked prices lately on these? Cheapest I can find near me is $15k. They still go for around $20k, even though they're 17 years old. However, Typhoon's go cheaper than Syclone's do.

[Breadfan]

Have you checked prices lately on these? Cheapest I can find near me is $15k. They still go for around $20k, even though they're 17 years old. However, Typhoon's go cheaper than Syclone's do.

Yeah, I looked a while back and they weren't cheap. But they were fast! They are relatively rare, neat examples of performance in a tough era for people who liked fast cars.

I'd imagine if they were cheap they'd be pretty ragged.

You can get an Impala SS with high miles or even an Lt1 powered 9C1 caprice for around even below $6k too.

[Raudermaster]

I don't know about you guys though, I would love to find a Fox, but they're getting more and more scarce around here. I could once go to Autotrader and put in a distrance of 25 miles and 40 would pop up, now I have to do 75 miles and I get about 12. Not sure maybe because it's winter time and stuff.

[davidholland]

I always liked the Monte SS looks, however for actually driving the car the 5.0 would be far more reliable (Fuel Injected).

Just my 2 cents

[davidholland]

Just for the record I have a L98 TPI 88 Vette,that can eat up stock 5.0s all day long,done it many times back in the day! And yes its bone stock!

These cars were underated

[2,4shofast]

Quote:
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=6 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD class=alt2 style="BORDER-RIGHT: 1px inset; BORDER-TOP: 1px inset; BORDER-LEFT: 1px inset; BORDER-BOTTOM: 1px inset">Originally Posted by Taemian http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/images/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://www.mercurymarauder.net/forums/showthread.php?p=590187#post59 0187)
Oh yeah, SHO's are money pits. Check out the SHO club site. Parts are getting harder to find used, new parts prices are $$$. Crown Vic parts are dirt cheap. I should take you for a spin in my CVPI, it has the MM airbox/MAF upgrade, and a reflashed chip from Reinhart.

</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>





Not if you know where to go. :up:


+ 1 :beer:

[Raudermaster]

I've been meaning to ask you, how did you total your '97? I almost bought a '97 that needed a tranny, my buddy Kirk (I'm sure you know him) was going to hook me up with a rebuilt one and install it but the kid sold it from under me. He only wanted $500 for it. Not sure if you saw too, Sal (Power Surge on here) had an '89 or a '91, don't recall, was selling a turbo SHO, looked sweet.

[arejayesss]

I had a Ford Probe GT manual back in the day (1996), man I loved that car.

[Raudermaster]

You had an Anal Probe?

[2,4shofast]

I've been meaning to ask you, how did you total your '97? I almost bought a '97 that needed a tranny, my buddy Kirk (I'm sure you know him) was going to hook me up with a rebuilt one and install it but the kid sold it from under me. He only wanted $500 for it. Not sure if you saw too, Sal (Power Surge on here) had an '89 or a '91, don't recall, was selling a turbo SHO, looked sweet.

I actually didnt offically total it but I wrecked it in while I was in Italy and shipping on parts over there would have broke the bank. I was going to turbo the 97 when I got it back to the states but for once I decieded to cut my losses and stripped it and shipped all the bolt ons back to the states. Yea everyone who is deep into SHO's knows of Kirk, hes a SHO God. As long as you weld the cams on the V-8's they are pretty awesome cars until you get over about 300Hp then the trannys go to ***** in a hurry but for the price you can get them for now and a over 7000 rpm redline, they make the pants happy;).

[freakstatus]

I always liked the Monte SS looks, however for actually driving the car the 5.0 would be far more reliable (Fuel Injected).

Just my 2 cents

Yep..I've always thought of these as sort of a poor mans Grand National....which is why I'm looking at them. 87-88 4th generation. There are some sweet looking ones on cardomain..

Like this:

http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc114/freakstatus/305075_21_full.jpg

[arejayesss]

You had an Anal Probe?
Yes sir, that tranny was a delight

[Aren Jay]

Jaguar XJR.

Class, Style and Marauder like performance.

95,96,97 MY were not as fast as the later Super Charged V8's but the Super Charged V6's are fast. Compared to other cars of the 80 and 90's.

http://www.itocarsalon.com/archives/images/200607/XJ6%20XJR%20umekomi.JPG
322BHP 378 Torque. Acceleration (0-60 mph): 6.7 sec. Edmunds.

[MADRODER]

If you're going for looks.....Monte SS, Grand National

If you're going for best bang for your buck with a huge aftermarket following........go 5.0

[96DiamondVIII]

You're all missing something obvious here: 1993-1998 Lincoln Mark VIII.

http://www4.ncsu.edu/%7Ecjmuller/LincolnMarkVIII96.1_320.jpg

No, it's not a sports car, but it's pretty quick and very comfortable, traits that can be said of our Marauders. Earlier version of the 32V InTech V8, 280 hp. You can find them all day in your price range, nice examples too. I had one for 2 years and loved it. Big, good-looking (IMO), nice interior and very comfortable. Just make sure the air suspension is in good shape, as that is a trouble spot.

Of the other comments made, I also like the idea of the Monte SS, the Mitsu Starion/Chrysler Conquest, and Impala SS. Jag XJR would be a lot of fun but the maintenance scares me. Also, in regards to the suggestion of a Mercedes SLK--neat little cars but I wouldn't want one as a daily driver. My roommate has been driving one for the past few months and he can't wait to get rid of it. It's fast and sporty, but it's tiny, cramped, rides rough, and the seats aren't particularly comfortable. Good for an occasional/weekend car though, I suppose.

[Leadfoot281]

Yes sir, that tranny was a delight


+1. I had a '95 Ford Probe GT and the trans was awesome. Other than that, I didn't like it too well.

1. Three of the cylinders were under the windsheild which made maintenance a huge PITA.

2. It was wrong wheel drive. (this was my first and last front driver).

3. Insurance was a killer. I could have bought a Firebird and paid the same amount to insure it.

4. It sucked in the snow. My '89 CV was much better.

5. The Probe GT needs premium fuel. Not a big issue really. It's like an extra penny/mile.

6. The same week I bought it, I got dusted by a couple of hot chicks (possibly strippers) in a new, 275hp, triple black 2000 Z-28 rag-top. I put a for sale sign on it that day and it took me a year to sell it.

[GreekGod]

...the three best fast & inexpensive used cars, in no particular order:

1) Mercury Grand Marquis (often babied & well maintained)
2) Ford Crown Victoria (often babied & well maintained)
3) Lincoln Town Car (often babied & well maintained)

The dual exhaust/trailer tow option boosts power, & (with the GM & CV) comes with 3.27 rear gears!...

They will all exceed 100 mph...

They have the same engine as a Police Interceptor!...

A Police Interceptor!!...

(you didn't say how fast you want to go) ;)

[quota]

Crown Vic or Grand Marquis.

03 models are rock solid and cheap. Also, they go the distance.
My MGM LSE 03, daily driven, shows 163.000 km and goes like new. Lots of fun in our silly winter (with studded tires), overcoming anybody. Thirsty in the city but...23 to 25 mpg on highway.

JP

[Taemian]

http://www.freemanmotor.com/portland/vehicle.php?vid=3480&recs=,3865,3335,3534,3864,3776 ,3628,3480

http://www.freemanmotor.com/bend/vehicle.php?vid=2756&recs=,3738,3802,3803,3826,3623 ,3877,3825,3880,3810,2756,3657

I'll be in Bend from April 24 - May 3 if you want me to check that Benz out...