Hello! Log in or Register   |  Help  |  Donate  |  Buy Shirts See all banner ads | Advertise on TheSamba.com  
TheSamba.com
 
Choosing a new project car...
Forum Index -> Off Topic Share: Facebook Twitter
Reply to topic
Print View
Quick sort: Show newest posts on top | Show oldest posts on top View previous topic :: View next topic  
Author Message
bug1200
Samba Member


Joined: July 07, 2015
Posts: 222
Location: Philippines
bug1200 is offline 

PostPosted: Thu Oct 20, 2016 5:56 am    Post subject: Choosing a new project car... Reply with quote

I've been saving up some money the past few months to have my bugs body repaired and repainted, and I have also set aside some for a new project car as the bug might be gone for almost a year... I didnt know that the condition of the body was very bad until the people at the shop examined the car.

So I narrowed down my choices to a car from the 90s:
1. VW Polo mk3
2. Honda Civic 6th gen
3. Honda Civic (again) 5th gen (that my friend is selling)
4. Nissan Sentra B14

I didnt want to join or ask any Nissan or Honda forum as theyd probably be biased there, and I think (but hopefully not, that much) there would be a bit of bias here too as I have a VW in my choices...

So, anyway. I just wanted to hear (or read) your experiences on those cars, reliability wise, or are they fuel efficient, any quirks and stuff? etc.

Thanks!

EDIT: 5. Mazda 323

Im kinda leaning more on to the Sentra or the Polo, but im not sure if the Polo is a nice project car as there arent much of them here...

EDIT 2: BMW 316i e36. I didnt know they were quite cheap here, for parts and maintainance... I dont know...


Last edited by bug1200 on Fri Oct 21, 2016 7:39 am; edited 1 time in total
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
Zundfolge1432 Premium Member
Samba Member


Joined: June 13, 2004
Posts: 12454

Zundfolge1432 is offline 

PostPosted: Thu Oct 20, 2016 6:57 am    Post subject: Re: Choosing a new project car... Reply with quote

I'd find an early 90s del sol Honda five speed and visit a salvage or better yet obtain a JDM engine from one of the Honda SUVs. It's a bolt in to the second lightest car Honda made CRX being lighter, but you end up with a screamer using mostly factory parts. Done on a Budget it's way cheaper than building a Vw in this performance range. All the Honda motors are interchangeable and you can stuff the bigger one in a civic too. Del sol is a 2 seater with a removable top, kinda reminiscent of a 914 Porsche.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
bug1200
Samba Member


Joined: July 07, 2015
Posts: 222
Location: Philippines
bug1200 is offline 

PostPosted: Thu Oct 20, 2016 9:12 am    Post subject: Re: Choosing a new project car... Reply with quote

Zundfolge1432 wrote:
I'd find an early 90s del sol Honda five speed and visit a salvage or better yet obtain a JDM engine from one of the Honda SUVs. It's a bolt in to the second lightest car Honda made CRX being lighter, but you end up with a screamer using mostly factory parts. Done on a Budget it's way cheaper than building a Vw in this performance range. All the Honda motors are interchangeable and you can stuff the bigger one in a civic too. Del sol is a 2 seater with a removable top, kinda reminiscent of a 914 Porsche.


unfortunately, the del sol and the CRX werent sold here locally. so i would have to import (waaay off my budget) a used unit or look for someone who imported one and wants to sell it already... but I could get an s2000...

Resale values of Hondas are quite high here, you could get a Nissan Skyline for the price of an s2000 and sometimes even a civic! i used google to convert the currency, used civics here, specifically the "SiR" trim which has the B16A engine can cost you 6,234 US Dollars... thats expensive! The Skyline? $7,275 non turbo though... just for reference and FWIW, the Toyota Supra here would cost you $20,796... cars are frickin expensive here...
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
Volks Wagen
Samba Member


Joined: February 13, 2013
Posts: 2926
Location: Germany
Volks Wagen is offline 

PostPosted: Thu Oct 20, 2016 1:01 pm    Post subject: Re: Choosing a new project car... Reply with quote

Yeeeeeeeeeeears back I had a Civic 4g imported from JDM or somewhere and it fookin kicked ass. I shit u not I have never had a car handle as well on tight bends and it had good wellie - revved freely, pulled hard. All factory spec 1990 16v dual-carb, full dual sports exhaust, really nice suspension setup, hatch, black. Some bastard stole it. Must be a few of them around there... much nicer cars that 5g.
_________________
1973 1303 with AB-motor - sporadic
reconstruction as time permits, 1986 ex-Bundeswehr Doka - on the road again.

I'm definitely, probably, the worlds greatest lover.

Aithníonn ciaróg ciaróg eile.
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
bug1200
Samba Member


Joined: July 07, 2015
Posts: 222
Location: Philippines
bug1200 is offline 

PostPosted: Thu Oct 20, 2016 7:23 pm    Post subject: Re: Choosing a new project car... Reply with quote

Volks Wagen wrote:
Yeeeeeeeeeeears back I had a Civic 4g imported from JDM or somewhere and it fookin kicked ass. I shit u not I have never had a car handle as well on tight bends and it had good wellie - revved freely, pulled hard. All factory spec 1990 16v dual-carb, full dual sports exhaust, really nice suspension setup, hatch, black. Some bastard stole it. Must be a few of them around there... much nicer cars that 5g.


The 4th gen Civic isnt really my type, and its too old. i must clarify that the car im looking for is from the mid 90s era...

as for the fifth gen, the hatch is very popular here (nickname EG, pronounced egg) but was only released for the "peoples car" segment. therefore being only available in the base trim with the 1.2 engine.
and fifth gen Civics are notorious here for rust issues, specially the roof...
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
hitest
Samba Member


Joined: September 30, 2008
Posts: 10296
Location: Prime Meridian, ID
hitest is offline 

PostPosted: Thu Oct 20, 2016 7:54 pm    Post subject: Re: Choosing a new project car... Reply with quote

Of all the cars you list- only one has had decades of manufacturing success battling rust: VW
_________________
EverettB wrote:

I wonder what the nut looks like.



'62 L390 151, '62 L469 117, '63 L380 113, '64 L87 311, '65 L512 265, '65 L31 SO-42, '66 L360 251, '68 L30k 141, '71 L12 113, '74 ORG 181

FU#5
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
bug1200
Samba Member


Joined: July 07, 2015
Posts: 222
Location: Philippines
bug1200 is offline 

PostPosted: Fri Oct 21, 2016 5:05 am    Post subject: Re: Choosing a new project car... Reply with quote

hitest wrote:
Of all the cars you list- only one has had decades of manufacturing success battling rust: VW


You sure about that? ive heard that Karmann Ghias rust pretty easily... well, might be a different story for more modern VWs...
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
bug1200
Samba Member


Joined: July 07, 2015
Posts: 222
Location: Philippines
bug1200 is offline 

PostPosted: Sat Oct 22, 2016 10:37 am    Post subject: Re: Choosing a new project car... Reply with quote

Anyone?
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
Bobnotch
Samba Member


Joined: July 06, 2003
Posts: 22358
Location: Kimball, Mi
Bobnotch is offline 

PostPosted: Sat Oct 22, 2016 12:55 pm    Post subject: Re: Choosing a new project car... Reply with quote

I'd probably go for a Honda. But then I'm partly biased in that I own 3 Accords (not to mention 2 VW type 3s). Parts are easily sourced, quality is very good, and those were the 2 main things I was looking at when I bought mine. All 3 of the Hondas have over 230K miles on them, and they all run great. My son kind of got me into them with his 6th gen Civic. He's put quite a few miles on it (got it at 150K, and now has almost 300K on it), but not a lot of money into it. That's what sold me on them. We took my wife's car (a 2000 Accord LX sedan with a 2.3L 4 cylinder) on a cross country road trip over the last 2 weeks. Put 2757 miles on it, and the car performed perfectly, even getting a combined city/hiway 26.34 mpg (I'm a bit of a lead foot), which isn't bad with an automatic trans, the cruise control on (set at 80 mph), along with having the AC on.
_________________
Bob 65 Notch S with Sunroof
71 Notch ...aka Krunchy; build pics here;
http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=249390 -been busy working
64 T-34 Ghia...aka Wolfie, under construction... http://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=412120
Tram wrote:
"Friends are God's way of apologizing for relatives."
Tram wrote:
People keep confusing "restored" and "restroyed".
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
hitest
Samba Member


Joined: September 30, 2008
Posts: 10296
Location: Prime Meridian, ID
hitest is offline 

PostPosted: Sat Oct 22, 2016 6:29 pm    Post subject: Re: Choosing a new project car... Reply with quote

bug1200 wrote:
hitest wrote:
Of all the cars you list- only one has had decades of manufacturing success battling rust: VW


You sure about that? ive heard that Karmann Ghias rust pretty easily... well, might be a different story for more modern VWs...


Karmann Ghias weren't built by VW sparky... Wink

And to be fair, I've had numerous Toyotas and come from a Toyota family since 1979- love them all. I have a '12 Tundra, my wife a '15 Highlander, and my daughter has the hand me down '03 Honda Pilot- all great cars, but built well past Japan's very-late-learned lessons in rust prevention (early 80s). When I traded my '00 Tundra in on the '12- it was still using its factory battery. I'm hoping to acquire a rather rarish 1981 Toyota Trailblazer- but it too has rust issues. Sorry, I'm easily locked on Toys- they're a much cooler car brand than anything else I can think of. Cool
_________________
EverettB wrote:

I wonder what the nut looks like.



'62 L390 151, '62 L469 117, '63 L380 113, '64 L87 311, '65 L512 265, '65 L31 SO-42, '66 L360 251, '68 L30k 141, '71 L12 113, '74 ORG 181

FU#5
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
bug1200
Samba Member


Joined: July 07, 2015
Posts: 222
Location: Philippines
bug1200 is offline 

PostPosted: Sun Oct 23, 2016 5:56 am    Post subject: Re: Choosing a new project car... Reply with quote

Bobnotch wrote:
I'd probably go for a Honda. But then I'm partly biased in that I own 3 Accords (not to mention 2 VW type 3s). Parts are easily sourced, quality is very good, and those were the 2 main things I was looking at when I bought mine. All 3 of the Hondas have over 230K miles on them, and they all run great. My son kind of got me into them with his 6th gen Civic. He's put quite a few miles on it (got it at 150K, and now has almost 300K on it), but not a lot of money into it. That's what sold me on them. We took my wife's car (a 2000 Accord LX sedan with a 2.3L 4 cylinder) on a cross country road trip over the last 2 weeks. Put 2757 miles on it, and the car performed perfectly, even getting a combined city/hiway 26.34 mpg (I'm a bit of a lead foot), which isn't bad with an automatic trans, the cruise control on (set at 80 mph), along with having the AC on.


Well, to tell you honestly, Im not much of a honda fan... If youve read my thread on "why doesnt vw bug skid when pressing brakes hard" I said that the 5th gen civic "reminds me of nothing more than a bar of soap"

But I said to myself:"almost 90% of the cars here are toyotas, maybe its time to try something new..."

Anyway, do you know if the transmission of the 6th gen civic is reliable? I used to own a Honda city with the D15B VTED engine, and auto tranny... one day it just conked out and wont go above 20 kilometres per hour no matter how high i rev it... Turned out to be a slipping transmission, so i just had it repaired and sold it right away (this is what led me away from Hondas, And auto trannies forever)

I also had a CRV, which never let me down! (automatic too!) though it was getting old and had bad gas mileage so i just sold it...
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
bug1200
Samba Member


Joined: July 07, 2015
Posts: 222
Location: Philippines
bug1200 is offline 

PostPosted: Sun Oct 23, 2016 6:01 am    Post subject: Re: Choosing a new project car... Reply with quote

hitest wrote:
bug1200 wrote:
hitest wrote:
Of all the cars you list- only one has had decades of manufacturing success battling rust: VW


You sure about that? ive heard that Karmann Ghias rust pretty easily... well, might be a different story for more modern VWs...


Karmann Ghias weren't built by VW sparky... Wink

And to be fair, I've had numerous Toyotas and come from a Toyota family since 1979- love them all. I have a '12 Tundra, my wife a '15 Highlander, and my daughter has the hand me down '03 Honda Pilot- all great cars, but built well past Japan's very-late-learned lessons in rust prevention (early 80s). When I traded my '00 Tundra in on the '12- it was still using its factory battery. I'm hoping to acquire a rather rarish 1981 Toyota Trailblazer- but it too has rust issues. Sorry, I'm easily locked on Toys- they're a much cooler car brand than anything else I can think of. Cool


ohh, they werent? heheheh, but according to my research Karmann Ghias were handcrafted...

My cars have been mostly Toyotas for the past 16 years (aside from the bug) and im quite sick of them (the reason why i didnt have one on my list)

But i must say that toyotas are quite reliable, I used to have a 1993 corolla 1.6 bought new, sold it 2003 with almost 600,000 kilometres, and as far as i remember the clutch hasnt been replaced yet when i sold it! I still remember its license plate number and I saw it just a few weeks ago up for sale again...
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
bug1200
Samba Member


Joined: July 07, 2015
Posts: 222
Location: Philippines
bug1200 is offline 

PostPosted: Sun Oct 23, 2016 6:04 am    Post subject: Re: Choosing a new project car... Reply with quote

This is kinda off topic, But which of the three: Toyota, Honda, And Nissan. is the most popular in your location, and whats the least...

Thanks...
Back to top
View user's profile Send private message Gallery Classifieds Feedback
Display posts from previous:   
Reply to topic    Forum Index -> Off Topic All times are Mountain Standard Time/Pacific Daylight Savings Time
Page 1 of 1

 
Jump to:  
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum

About | Help! | Advertise | Donate | Premium Membership | Privacy/Terms of Use | Contact Us | Site Map
Copyright © 1996-2023, Everett Barnes. All Rights Reserved.
Not affiliated with or sponsored by Volkswagen of America | Forum powered by phpBB
Links to eBay or other vendor sites may be affiliate links where the site receives compensation.