Thinking about it...

[dazedniteman]

I'm new here and am interested in getting a Del Sol this summer. I plan on getting either a really cheap or one with front end damage and repairing it. My cousin rebuilt his with his dad last summer I believe and looks really good (he's on CarDomain, first page - I think it's called Konig_Twinkies, something about twinkies)
I am only 16 and this will be my first car and hopefully my only car until I finish up college. I've saved up a grand total of $3300 so far! lol and once I get a new job will hopefully have around $4000-$5000. Once I repair the car, I'd like to modify it a lot, making it look good, improving the engine, get some kind of sound system in there, maybe mess with the interior changing the seats, gauges. What would you recommend with someone with the amount of money that I have. I really want this to be a great learning experience as I hope to learn a great deal about cars in June when I spend the month with them in Ohio rebuilding this car. Also, I live here in shitty South Dakota lol and it can snow a lot, would driving in snow/ice be difficult to handle? What do you think I should do because I'd like to lower the car for looks because in my opinion, It doesn't look as good unless it is lowered at least a little bit. It just gives it a whole new look. The problem arrises when it snows, I don't know how much clearance I should allow myself to have, I want it too look really good but I also want to be able to drive it in the winter.
For what I'm looking for the order of importance when I rebuild the car will be: 1. Performance 2. Looks 3. Sound

I did do some research to some aftermarket parts that I might consider adding, what do you think of these (these were the highest rated ones on carreview.com):
Coilovers – (Eibach) Ground Controls

Shocks - Tokico Illumina Shocks

Springs - H & R Sport Springs

Struts - Neuspeed Strut Tower Bar

Exhaust - Borla Cat-Back System
Tanabe Racing Medalion

Headers - DC Sports Ceramic Coated Headers

Thanks a lot for putting up with all this, hopefully by July I will have a great new car and a whole lot of knowledge about cars
--Steve

[95si]

get a shell (no engine) for 1k
build a d from scratch for 1k
rest into mods.

[cooked9ines]

or You could always buy a theft recovery vehicle, alot of salvage yards put a salvage title on them due to the fact that the paper work for a theft recovery title is a pretty big hassle. Which usually equals out to a discounted price, with little or no damage. Also look for some place that specialize in wrecked vehicles and theft recovery vehicles, one thats in my area is www.huffmansauto.com

[95si]

im 17, and god i wish i did that.

[95si]

Originally posted by b18c1eg2
yah that would be a good idea but if you plan to sell it later on your not gonna get much for it cause its a salvage title thank goodness i was lucky to find out my sol was clean

it would be more profitable to part it either way.

[AnthonyA182]

Be careful with a salvage title man. When those cars are put back together, it usually isn't very well. Look for weld spots on the frame as a tell-tale sign of major frame damage. Anyways you listed performance as your primary goal, but how fast are we talking?? Unless you pour ungodly amounts of money into a sol, it isn't gonna run with the big boys. Plus your still young so you really don't need to go that fast anyways (Driving a 13 or low 14 second car is a lot harder than driving a 16 or 17 second car) Before I can give you any real advice, I'd recommend you write down and plan out your EXACT goal for this car. How long do you want to keep it? Daily driver or weekend warrior? Do you want the hassle of forced induction? That has a direct impact on the previous question as well. When we first get a car we feel like we want to own it for the rest of our lives. A 10 year old targa top with no backseat doesn't bode well for a daily driver if your planning on keeping it forever. That in turn effects how much you want to modify it (in case you have to sell it) and so on and so on.

[dazedniteman]

My Goals for this car:
1. To last through college (I'm a Sophomore, going to get one in the summer before my Junior Year), so at least 6 years
2. Great Performance (I'm not looking to race, but I want this to be really fast, handle well, accelerate well, good milage, good horsepower. Basically I want to be able to race if I wanted without the need for a turbo. I want to be able to race my friends on the back roads of south dakota I also would like nice tires and maybe an additional set for the winter since this Is south dakota and it does snow, contrary to beliefs!
3. Nice Looks - Since I am planning to rebuild or fix a wrecked car, I want to make this car look really sharp but yet, clean. Some Nice rims but nothing over the top, sharp paint job (My cousin's dad who I will be with paints cars professionally and is in great demand and is one of the best in Ohio), maybe a body kit if it looks really good, small spoiler, none of those that are like 2 feet above the truck just something small that adds character.
4. Good Sound System - I want something that will rock. No need for a DVD player or PS2 or XBox in the dash or anything because what's the use. I want great speakers, nice sub, good head unit, powerful amp. The Music I listen to varies a lot. I listen to a TON of Jimmy Buffett (fave artist), Phish, Grateful Dead, hip hop, rock, classic rock, heavy metal, but no country! lol
5. This will definitly be an everyday car. I will be driving this to and from school every day. To my friends' homes, baseball games and practices. In fact right after I finish this I may be driving to South Carolina for a family reunion so it will have a nice long drive as soon as it's done, ohio to south carolina then back to south dakota is quite a ways.

Thanks for your help so far

[95si]

ok. then let me ask this-

what is your friends cars that you want to hang with?

[dazedniteman]

Well my cousin has a 94 Del Sol (http://www.cardomain.com/id/konig_twinkies)

All of my friend's who live here in south dakota have a wide array of cars and most will be getting new cars this summer but don't know what they are going to get, one has an old COLT haha ...POS
2 have ford taurus'
1 Bronco
nothing sporty at all but who knows who my friend's will be in college and who knows what new cars my friend's will get this summer, couple want eclipse's, some want honda's.

[95si]

well, in that case, start with somethign that is powerful, but has endless potential. build up a d16z6 (stock si motor).

start n/a and have a monster that has a 12:1 copression.

it will cost like.. $500 total.

add a turbo down the line, $1000 more.

[AnthonyA182]

Well if it's gonna be your daily driver and you don't want to be faster than almost every car you come across, I'd just swap in a B18b or B16a. A B18c1 if you have the money. With either of those engines you'd run probably a low 15, high 14s with the B18c1. That's plenty quick if your not looking to go all out. As said above, if you wanted you could just build up the SOHC D16, but I'd recommned a B series. Your ideas are good, like you said just try to keep it clean. Get a good suspension set-up and the sol will handle like it's on rails.

[95si]

deceent b swap - 2500
build up a d - 500, its faster cheaper & lighter.

[AnthonyA182]

Originally posted by 95si
deceent b swap - 2500
build up a d - 500, its faster cheaper & lighter.

Not true. You can get a B18b installed for 1200 (if your lucky), but certainly no more than 1500. I know you've been talking to Tim a lot, hence your faith in the D-series. However, not everyone is like Tim and can swap out the engine everytime he throws a rod. He said he wants good and reliable performance. Really any B-series will be great for that. Plus if later down the line, he wants to go faster, the B18b is perfect (as far as Hondas go) for forced induction. I've thought of building a D before, but found that I don't really think that it's worth it to me.

[9DTSiAWD]

Just do the work yourself