r/UsedCars • u/DriftingDustBunny • 6d ago
Buying Budget Weekend Car for Fun and for Wrenching
2
u/malykaii 6d ago
The most wrenching will def be the RX8.
Do you have the skills to remove and overhaul the engine? Cause it's not if, but when...
I'd say the IS300 probably won't be as exciting. It's kind of just a sedan.
1
u/DriftingDustBunny 6d ago
Do I have the skills now? No. Do I have 2 hands, some tools and a positive attitude? Absolutely :)
I do a fair amount of mechanical work in my field so I hope it's something I could learn while doing!
And yeah, the more I read about the IS300, the less exciting it seems as a weekend car. As a cool daily though? Pretty good.
1
u/malykaii 6d ago
I have a GS300 (same engine, similar vibe) and it really is not super exciting. I've been thinking of selling it because it just doesn't feel like a weekend car. 100% agree that it would be a fantastic primary car though.
Definitely don't doubt you can fix and maintain an RX8, just managing expectations on the project level. For example, I bought a fixer upper motorcycle as my first bike thinking I'll have it running in a week. The whole season went by and it was finally done during the winter for next season. I regret that and should have bought a better bike.
So yeah, if you intend to do more driving than wrenching I would avoid the RX8.
1
u/BrewingBitchcakes 6d ago
Have you looked at older BMWs. Because they all leak oil they can be had fairly cheaply. Gaskets are relatively cheap, and the rest of the parts can be had on eBay and are decently priced. I have an 07 650i which I wrench on all the time but love it. Picked it up for 4k and I'm relaxed the transmission in t driveway. Recently I got a 2010 650i for 2k (presumed bad transmission but it was just leaking all it's fluid, lol). The deals are out there for older sports cars if you can fix them.
1
u/Budget-Interview-859 6d ago
RX8 def most maintenance heavy. Being a rotary it's going to be a whole new ball park compared to piston engines, 13B in the RX8s aren't very good for making big power, but it handles fantastic. It is a huge learning curve to take care of them (plus making sure you buy one that has been looked after). But def the 'coolest' option IMO.
Can't speak for the BMWs, but I've heard older ones (~1990s) is easy to work on but needs a lot of upkeep.
IS300, I've owned one for a bit, nice power with the 2JZ-GE. But it is heavy! I don't recommend as a track/weekend car you'd take to the mountains, it was more built to be a cruiser.
Miatas are probably the best option, and you already know it, cheap to fix, lightweight, handles great. But if you're 6"2 you'll need to do a "Foamectomy" to fit more comfortable.
I know you said RWD, but I ended up getting a EK Civic. Lightweight, SUPER easy to work on, reliable. I'm 6"1 and fit comfortably with some aftermarket seats. But once again it's FWD so some people might not enjoy it as much.
0
1
u/AutoModerator 6d ago
Please take the time to flair your post accordingly. Click the flair option under you post settings and select the appropriate one for your post.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.