Popular Mechanics - get the most HP for your budget

[Fosters]

Buying a car on a budget doesn't mean you have to buy a budget car. We sorted through the available wheels at a variety of price ranges to find out which cars deliver the most horses for your money. Our conclusions: Get a Mustang.


:banana2:

http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/reviews/comparisons/how-to-get-the-most-horsepower-for-your-money#fbIndex1

[LANDY]

Of anyone wants cheap HP get a ls1 f body

[Fosters]

Of anyone wants cheap HP get a ls1 f body

Yeah, but then you need a tow vehicle and a trailer to get it around... :o

[LANDY]

I know plenty of street f-bodys running 10's with a/c,ps and stock bottom end with over 100k miles.
I'm mainly a Ford guy but I give credit where is due.

[LANDY]

wwhat mustAng can you buy for less than 10k stock and drop 4g's in it and do tens while daily driving it and getting over 20mpg. none

[Fosters]

wwhat mustAng can you buy for less than 10k stock and drop 4g's in it and do tens while daily driving it and getting over 20mpg. none

If you're gonna go old, then a pinto with a 460 in it will mop the floor with any fbody for way less than 14k.

The 03 cobras are getting down in price... you can pick up one for 15, drop the same 4k in it and be waaay ahead and much more reliable than the rattletrap hci fbodys.

By the way, how do those GM rear ends hold up for running 10s? :o

[Fosters]

What car can you get that the tranny dies on at 15k miles, exhaust falls off at 20k miles, timing cover cracks at 50k miles, eats alternators to the tune of 4 in 70k miles, rear end dies at 72k miles, torque converter goes at 75k miles, top of dash cracks in half for no reason, and hatch goes out of alignment for no reason?

My old 98 camaro. :o

[LANDY]

They are both good cars no doubt but my experiences with f-bodys have been good. I have nothing bad to say other than their *****y 7.5 rearend.

[MrBluGruv]

They are both good cars no doubt but my experiences with f-bodys have been good. I have nothing bad to say other than their *****y 7.5 rearend.

I'm dreading the day my 10-bolt goes. :(

Now I'm pretty much all stock and I don't ever really launch hard (plus haven't been to the strip), but all I hear is 10-bolt = glass.

[LANDY]

If you're gonna go old, then a pinto with a 460 in it will mop the floor with any fbody for way less than 14k.

The 03 cobras are getting down in price... you can pick up one for 15, drop the same 4k in it and be waaay ahead and much more reliable than the rattletrap hci fbodys.

By the way, how do those GM rear ends hold up for running 10s? :o I wrote LS1, if that old then you must be deep into the future.:flamer:
A bolt on ford 9" fixes rearend problems.
If you find a nice terminator for 15k kudos to you

[slickster]

Of anyone wants cheap HP get a ls1 f body

I always knew this was true. And the srt4 anyone dare me to prove this

[guspech750]

I agree. LS power FTW. Even the LT1's and LT4 are very nice. Not as nice as the LS, but still nice.
I still miss my LT1 1997 Camaro SS.

Sent from my iPhone
Go White Sox!!!

[robertmee]

If you want to do it in style and not be just another mustang owner, go Grand National. Most fun for your $ and all bolt on power. Plus you get to enjoy the same limited production cool factor as your MM and I guarantee you'll not experience a more butt clenching ride than a hole shot in an Alky injected GN.

[RacerX]

If you want to do it in style and not be just another mustang owner, go Grand National. Most fun for your $ and all bolt on power. Plus you get to enjoy the same limited production cool factor as your MM and I guarantee you'll not experience a more butt clenching ride than a hole shot in an Alky injected GN.
In a straight line. Other than that, stock suspension sucked. Interior is so 80's (obviously). Cool factor wore off on me pretty quick even with the larger turbo and 100 octane chip. I guess I should of had my brother take it to the track. Too many winding roads around here...

[Spectragod]

I didn't notice a map to Lidio's shop in that article. ????

[robertmee]

In a straight line. Other than that, stock suspension sucked. Interior is so 80's (obviously). Cool factor wore off on me pretty quick even with the larger turbo and 100 octane chip. I guess I should of had my brother take it to the track. Too many winding roads around here...

That's a bad rap on G-Bodys....They outperformed mustangs of the same vintage and many other cars in the slalom with suspension bolt ons....

http://www.sportmachines.com/magrack/car_craft_12-92.html

I will give you the 80's interior though ;)

But let's be real....those who are looking for high HP aren't looking to go down mountain roads....It's straight line performance in either street racing or the track. And for the $ you can't beat a GN, IMHO.

[Fosters]

That's a bad rap on G-Bodys....They outperformed mustangs of the same vintage and many other cars in the slalom with suspension bolt ons....

http://www.sportmachines.com/magrack/car_craft_12-92.html

I will give you the 80's interior though ;)

But let's be real....those who are looking for high HP aren't looking to go down mountain roads....It's straight line performance in either street racing or the track. And for the $ you can't beat a GN, IMHO.

with suspension bolt-ons, like a panhard bar and a torque arm on an svo mustang, I don't see that GN boat do much in terms of handling ;)

We all know buying used will get you by far the best bang for the buck when it comes to horsepower. The article was about new cars though.

[robertmee]

We all know buying used will get you by far the best bang for the buck when it comes to horsepower. The article was about new cars though.

True, but the thread migrated towards older f-bodys as a choice for cheap HP, so I was just pontificating that the older G-bodys are a good option too :)

[RacerX]

And for the $ you can't beat a GN, IMHO.
I won't argue that. It was a fun car! Lot's of kills that were so darn funny you had tears in your eyes and your stomache hurt from laughing so hard. Silent too! Ssssssssssssssssssssssss!!!!!! Smoke everywhere! Ahh, memories! :D

[robertmee]

I won't argue that. It was a fun car! Lot's of kills that were so darn funny you had tears in your eyes and your stomache hurt from laughing so hard. Silent too! Ssssssssssssssssssssssss!!!!!! Smoke everywhere! Ahh, memories! :D

Are you the same RacerX on turbobuick? I was just reading some stuff over there and saw the ID. I bought the MM to bookend my GN. Sorry to see you left the fold :)

[RacerX]

Nope! It was my brother's car. I wouldn't let him hold a hammar to look busy though. I'm the mechanically inclined, he's the salesman. ;)