Cheap US-made cars with muscle car-esque character?

[obrut]

Some Australian chums and I are planning a trip to Rennsport at Laguna Seca next year.

One option to avoid boring hire cars that has been discussed (yes, whilst drinking) is to pitch in and buy something "characterful" and then sell it post trip.

What would you suggest that ticks the following boxes:

1. US-made
2. V8
3. cheap
4. at least a hint of muscle car

Most coupes are probably out due to lack of accomodation, ditto for trucks/utes. Wagons are definately in (wagons are cool). Oddball is ok, almost preferred...

What say you?


Ps. My suggestion of an ex-cop car Crown Vic has already been shouted down.

[porsche4life]

Whats the budget? You have lots of options. I'm thinking a mustang of some variety.

[aigel]

What's cheap?

And how far do you plan to drive?

How long are you here?

What about insurance?

You do realize that you can get rental cars with plenty of giddyup here in the US of A?

G

[jyl]

1970s Cadillac Eldorado convertible. White.

[obrut]

Budget - as little as possible - but say a few grand or thereabouts.

Not driving far - to and fro hotel and events around the track and Monterey etc

Some are here for 4/5 days and some for a fortnight I think.

I know that this make no sense when compared to rental cars - even fast rental cars - but it could be fun.

[aigel]

That's short. Are you still drunk? Where are you going to buy? You will need insurance, unless you want to be out of the country before they catch up to the fact that you are uninsured after the accident.

There isn't anything fast for a couple grand. The best you can hope for is a late 70s or 80s V8 grampsmobile with RWD. Like a Ford LTD, Chevy caprice etc.

Personally, I think the cop car is a pretty darn good idea.

G

Some suggestions:

1974 chevrolet caprice 4 door super clean !!

1978 caprice classic all original 66,000 miles

1979 Lincoln Versailles

1996 Lincoln town car

pay with weed:
73 oldsmobile cutlass supreme

1979 Oldsmobile

[Nostril Cheese]

Crown Vic is going to meet all of your criteria. You can find them cheap and well maintained. They are usually hopped up a little too.

[Tobra]

Two words for you, police auction. What is wrong with a former cop car? If you want a back seat, that is the way to go. Maybe get an old Checker cab.

[pc100porsche]

1st thing you need is a US address for the purpose of insurance (you cannot register a car in the US w/o valid insurance) ... You will need a decent broker to get you insurance ie most companies will not touch you if you are not a resident .....but it can be done !

[Schumi]

A Dodge Manaco with a cop motor, a 440-cubic-inch plant, cop tires, cop suspension, cop shocks.. a model made before catalytic converters so it'll run good on regular gas...

[Porsche-O-Phile]

Mustang GT. Preferably convertible. Or a Bullit Mustang if you want to have non-stop girls trying to claw their way inside to get to you, to watch people prostrate themselves in front of you at every stop light and have police officers clear the roads for miles in advance of your arrival.

In all seriousness look for a 1990s or 2000s era mustang GT convertible. The only thing you might dislike is storage space may be a tad limited, but they're very fun, very American cars that will likely meet your criteria and give you a lot of good memories.

[pc100porsche]

Ford Mustang GT | eBay

[HardDrive]

I recently picked up a 2002 Ford Mustang GT. $4200. High mileage, but runs great, sounds wicked. 99-04 Mustangs would be a good option.

That said, I think you will waste a lot of valuable time messing around getting the car registered then trying to sell it later. If you insisted on buying a car, I would purchase an absolute piece of dung, skip the legalities, then abandoned the car when it's time to go. Perhaps setting it on fire would be a nice touch.

[doublestuff]

Originally Posted by obrut

Ps. My suggestion of an ex-cop car Crown Vic has already been shouted down.

Let me add to the "shouting UP," ex-cop crown vics are awesome. Plenty of passenger and storage room, super reliable, reasonably easy to find and re-sell, fast enough.

By the way, contrary to popular belief, the Police Interceptor Crown Vics are not any faster than a regular Crown Vic, only the suspension and cooling system are any different. They tend to be low option and maybe a little lighter, though. Actually, if you can find a non-Police Vic, that might not be bad either, as they tend to be little-old-lady driven.

Good luck!

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by doublestuff

By the way, contrary to popular belief, the Police Interceptor Crown Vics are not any faster than a regular Crown Vic, only the suspension and cooling system are any different. They tend to be low option and maybe a little lighter, though. Actually, if you can find a non-Police Vic, that might not be bad either, as they tend to be little-old-lady driven.

That's actually not true. They were slightly more powerful, had a hugely upgraded cooling system, stiffer suspension, better brake pads, different rear axle ratios with an optional LSD, transmission tuned for stiffer shifts, a different exhaust, etc.

To answer the question at hand, while buying a muscle beater ala Top Gear would be fun, sounds like there are some logistical issues with being a foreign national and buying a car in America. Personally I would just rent something fun and drive like a hooligan. You could go full on muscle car with a Camaro, Mustang, or Challenger, and some of the rental companies even rent the V8 versions. Or a Dodge Charger would give you decent power and RWD fun in a large sedan. Remember, the fastest car in the world is a rental car.

[HardDrive]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

To answer the question at hand, while buying a muscle beater ala Top Gear would be fun, sounds like there are some logistical issues with being a foreign national and buying a car in America. Personally I would just rent something fun and drive like a hooligan. You could go full on muscle car with a Camaro, Mustang, or Challenger, and some of the rental companies even rent the V8 versions. Or a Dodge Charger would give you decent power and RWD fun in a large sedan. Remember, the fastest car in the world is a rental car.

This.

[Jim Richards]

I agree with onewhippedpuppy re: rental car over a purchase.

If you're dead-set on buying a car, I'd like to suggest a Caddy with a V8. DTS, STS, maybe even an Eldorado or Allante. Buy one in black with dark tint on the windows. And have a great time at Rennsport Reunion, Ryan.

[Chocaholic]

Ditto above. Honestly your plan has far greater potential to be a complete PITA. The right rental car checks all the boxes without the hassle.

[Tobra]

I would think if you had a local to act as your agent, you could pull it off. I don't know how it would work with buying insurance though.

[oldE]

Obrut,

Here's your car.
One of my brothers had one of these barges in blue and it left an impression on me, I guess.



Get some insurance from a broker and don't drive a "me too" rental car.

Hemmings Find of the Day – 1973 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser | Hemmings Daily

Have fun!
Les