Im looking for a cheap fun car , 2500-4k what am I missing

[fastfredracing]

I am thinking American 80-90's muscle car, and I keep coming back to mustang gt verts. But I am still open to suggestions . We have enjoyed having a convertible for nice summer days .
I want a little project that I can add value to , but still want something reliable, that I could throw the family in and long distance road trip. . Would be fun to make some cheap horsepower, and maybe mow down a few crowds now and then.
I already have enough old German cars to keep me busy. I am thinking something a little more run of the mill , and easy to maintain .
I am a Chevy guy at heart, but Z28's and T/A's from that period are just too damn ugly. and plasticky
90-91 trans am GTA or z 28 is ringing my bell . I have looked at a few 79 -early 80's z 28's and t/a's , but they are just too old and rickety for what I am looking to do . I dam not looking to jump into a restoration . I would love to have something to clean up, maybe paint a few panels, and add some hot rod parts at my leisure .
What other fun cars from that era am I missing?

[VincentVega]

What about a 442 or Grand National? I've been in a few that handled ok with a ton of power, plus a big trunk for the kiddies.

[vash]

impalaSS from the 90's.?

or how about a retire police cruiser?

[stomachmonkey]

Late 80's Thunderbird Turbo Coupe.

Can be had with a stick.

4 banger Turbo that needs some tweaking to make really fun but not bad out of the box.

Same motor as the SVO Mustang of the era.

Room for 4 comfortably on extended trips.

Or early 90's Supercharged V6. Less boxy than the earlier body style.

[berettafan]

for sure a 5.0 fox body mustang. wouldn't be a convertible for me but a cheap and fun sounding car.

[masraum]

How about Monte Carlo SS from the 80s?

[-Levi-]

1991-95 Toyota mr2- great cars! mid engine, rear wheel drive with Toyota reliability.

I missed the whole American part- o well

[masraum]

How about Monte Carlo SS from the 80s?

[GG Allin]

Originally Posted by VincentVega

What about a 442 or Grand National? I've been in a few that handled ok with a ton of power, plus a big trunk for the kiddies.

WE4 Regal. Very few made, not why they're not worth more than they are. Can be made extremely fast with very little effort.

This one needs a little love.
1987 Buick Regal We4 | eBay

[Tervuren]

As a longshot, check what your local listings might be asking for Jaguar XK8 convertible's.

One darn beautiful car inside and out, and its a V8 convertible. I've seen them in running doesn't really need work condition in your price range. Might take some bargain hunting.

The Fox Body Mustang might have more passenger space, I haven't really walked around one in a while.

[fastfredracing]

Originally Posted by Tervuren

As a longshot, check what your local listings might be asking for Jaguar XK8 convertible's.

One darn beautiful car inside and out, and its a V8 convertible. I've seen them in running doesn't really need work condition in your price range. Might take some bargain hunting.

The Fox Body Mustang might have more passenger space, I haven't really walked around one in a while.

You are kidding right? I said cheap, and reliable .

[flipper35]

1987 Regal T-Type. Quick and decent sized for the family.

[recycled sixtie]

How about a 1979 Buick Regal. Hardtop, 4 good seats and dog friendly....

[HardDrive]

Originally Posted by VincentVega

What about a 442 or Grand National? I've been in a few that handled ok with a ton of power, plus a big trunk for the kiddies.

Where exactly does one find a 442 or Grand National for $4k that isn't a very rough project?

[HardDrive]

I had a 2002 Mustang GT for short while. It was an experiment before I got my Mach 1. I only paid $4000 for it. Had very little rust (bubbling in the wheel wells), came with an exhaust that made a lovely sound. Had 150,000 miles on it, but didn't smoke/stumble and pulled hard. I enjoyed the car. Would absolutely consider one again at that price point.

Photo doesn't lie, it really did look pretty good.

[DanielDudley]

You want a 4K car, you hit CL and keep looking. I saw a 4K C4 Vette with a 400HP motor and 6 speed for 4K about a month ago. Interior was trashed.

You don't know what you will find until you look.

[Tervuren]

Originally Posted by fastfredracing

You are kidding right? I said cheap, and reliable .

Not kidding. I've been in one that had 168,000 Miles on it. The full maintenance history on that car over 17 years wasn't bad, mostly wear items that wear or deteriorate in any other car. The convertible top can be a bit of trouble, and automatic transmissions failing can be a royal pain, but I think that is true of any other car you'd look at to. I've put 14K Miles on XK since last October, nothing but a burnt tail light, and filter/fluid changes. I'm at 62K miles.

With your mechanical aptitude, you should be able to find a good one that won't be problematic.

So I thought I'd put it out there, your own tastes might vary.

As DD said above, you can keep an eye on craiglist, if you do like the idea of the XK8, it doesn't hurt to check your listings.

[legion]

Originally Posted by berettafan

for sure a 5.0 fox body mustang. wouldn't be a convertible for me but a cheap and fun sounding car.

I've been thinking about one of these for when my oldest is old enough to drive (10 years from now). They have less power than today's Camry. I hope they stay cheap. Finding an unmodified one may be a challenge.

[fastfredracing]

Some good suggestions , thanks guys, was just ribbing about the Jag. I just worked on one recently and have to agree, it was a really nice car, but I am just looking for something , much more cheap and simple.
I think a Gt convertible is gonna be tough to beat in this category. I watch ads daily and I can get a 2000 gt vert, with a few dings, dirty interior, and some deferred maintenance for $2500.00. Decent ones for 4k. Crazy , I can't even buy pistons for my 911 for that money .
Throw a grand at it, and a few weekends of time ( which I enjoy), and could have a fun little toy .
My kid is coming up on 11 years old, someone has to show him how to do a proper burnout .
I do have a good friend trying to get rid of a pair of Monte Carlo ss cars. Tempting, but super boring to drive .

[masraum]

Originally Posted by HardDrive

Where exactly does one find a 442 or Grand National for $4k that isn't a very rough project?

Hell, most cheap, 20-30 year old American "muscle cars" that are <$4k are going to be crap. For every one that's in great shape and hasn't been ragged out or modded horribly, there are probably 1000 that are crap.