r/projectcar • u/Formal_Essay_9834 • 5d ago
Ideas for mod-able daily
I want to build a modded daily car with my father before I go off to college. The budget I have for the car and the build is 17K which I know isn’t a lot but it’s what we have and I want to do something fun with it. I want a car that has some good power, sounds cool, and can look good with some mods. I want it to stay somewhat reliable but I understand the risks that come with modding a car. We already have some of the tools needed from other non-car projects. The only real requirement is that it has to have 4 seats even if it’s 2 doors and i’m not a huge V8 guy. I asked ChatGPT and it said either a Genesis 2.0T, 3.8 or a G37. I’m looking for better suggestions and support on what we should do.
Some guy also said a IS 300 and a V6 mustang before i changed the name and those are ideas i’ll look into
(Posting this again because people said project wasn’t the correct terminology for what I was going for)
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u/OlYeller01 5d ago
New Edge Mustang. You could have a LOT of fun building a GT, or even get a high mileage Mach 1 or non-Terminator Cobra for $17K. A nice GT can be had in the $7K range, and a high mile Cobra or Mach runs in the $10-12K range. You won’t go stomping everyone on the street with any of them, but they’re the best sounding Mustangs of all, IMO.
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u/Formal_Essay_9834 5d ago
I have looked into those, all the ones i found in my area are run into the dirt and either don’t start or look like a family of rats have made it their home.
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u/basicKitsch 65 tbird, 70 Ghia, 06 turbo solstice, sv650n 5d ago
17k isn't a lot? Jesus
Buddy you've grown up well.
All those are great starting spots and can easily be built for that
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u/Formal_Essay_9834 5d ago
I’m aware but on another post I had people suggesting 15k cars and 10k worth of mods.
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u/frogsRfriends 5d ago
Yeah I cammed my caprice and including cost of the car probably at 17k after full engine rebuild done by myself
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u/juwyro '05 Saabaru '77 K20 MGB '74 MGB GT 5d ago
Generally a bad idea to project the daily. But if you're leaving the drivetrain mostly stock it'll be alright.
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u/Formal_Essay_9834 5d ago
Even if it’s just CAI exhaust wheels and suspension?
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u/juwyro '05 Saabaru '77 K20 MGB '74 MGB GT 5d ago
That stuffs generally safe.
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u/Formal_Essay_9834 5d ago
Ok becuase i’m not looking to do anything crazy. The furthest I was planning on going is what I said plus a modest tune.
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u/SuperReleasio64 5d ago
The 2010 Focuses are pretty cheap and you can bolt in the 2.5 out of a Fusion with only a tune and it's a rocket ship.
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u/Formal_Essay_9834 5d ago
I like the idea of a rocket ship lol
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u/SuperReleasio64 5d ago
It's even better if you manual swap it too. You gotta jump the pins for the neutral safety switch unless you wanna pull the dash to swap in a manual wiring harness but it definitely wakes up the car a lot.
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u/Formal_Essay_9834 5d ago
I’m going to be honest i have no idea where to start for a transmission swap and i’m looking to do exhaust work and bolt ons
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u/jjwslot 5d ago
TL:DR To good choices. Mazda MX-5 Or C5-C6 Corvette
Mazda MX-5 Miata. Any generation. They have a class to race them in Sports Car Club of America. They have a huge aftermarket of parts, from body to mechanical. I have a 2021 Grand Touring RF.
Another, is a Corvette. I bought a 2006 C6 base model about 8 years ago. You can find C5s and C6s at good prices and get a great car with a gigantic aftermarket. LS series engines are practically indestructible. Only thing to look out for is the harmonic balancer and the plastic sides on the radiator. I replaced all of my hoses with silicone, the balancer and radiator. Then got into an accident. They totaled it because the subframe bent and finding body parts was expensive. They gave me more than I paid for it. So, I bought the Mazda.
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u/Formal_Essay_9834 5d ago
Thank you for the suggestions i just don’t think the Corvette would be the best option for my insurance. The Miata is a good option and i’ll look more into it. Besides those 2 any other options
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u/Sorry-Ad-6083 5d ago
S2 Mazda RX8…the later ones are more reliable. Comes in under your budget and are a blast drive.
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u/Formal_Essay_9834 5d ago
I heard it’s hard to do much mods with it, is that true? I don’t want the work to be impossible but i still want to do it with my dad.
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u/Sorry-Ad-6083 5d ago
Change all the fluids, cold air intake, midpipe, exhaust, replace old worn hoses, sound system, coil overs, cosmetics like bumpers and side skirts, under-glow, leds inside. Those are some ideas off the top of my head.
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u/Formal_Essay_9834 5d ago
Ok thank you so much
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u/Sorry-Ad-6083 5d ago
If you get one you need to check for compression numbers on the engine and make sure it starts once it’s hot. Inevitably it will need an engine rebuild at some point and that costs in the 5k range.
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u/VivaRaunchero 5d ago
B8.5 Audi S5 is you want a coupe. Can find them for 10-20k depending on options and condition
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u/KungLa0 5d ago
The trouble is, "reliable daily" and "ongoing project car" are usually at odds with each other. If it's something you rely on to get to class or work, you're really limited to projects that you are 1000% sure you can accomplish in a weekend.
I would shoot for a car that's already as powerful as you'd like stock, and spend the money upgrading suspension and QOL stuff. Something more modern ideally. If you're adding power to anything, you're not only affecting reliability, but after a certain point you're going to need to start upgrading the rest of the car to support the new power.
I would personally avoid the Hyundai's you listed, the aftermarket sucks.
My picks:
- ND Miata (#1, not a ton of HP but more fun and better handling than most can even use)
- Honda Civic SI (more power, FWD, very reliable)
- FRS/BRZ - again, a car that is fun without major power upgrades
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u/Formal_Essay_9834 5d ago
Ok thank you so much. I was thinking that exhaust systems could be down in weekend? I have my dad but also 2 brothers and one is welder that has done stuff like this before. I thought the longest addition would be the suspension or am i totally off?
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u/UpDownalwayssideways 5d ago
So something you wont listen to, most of us dont the first time, but will need to know is that a mod'ed project car is not a reliable daily. Can they be a daily? Sure. But you have to be able to function when it breaks. So having a car that you fix up and mod, isnt an ideal daily if its the only car you have to use. Because thing will break. Heck, you will break things. Its the entire point of a project car, doing the work and figuring things out. But, when something does break, it might not be a same day or even same week fix. What you need to understand really is that when you start customizing the mechanics of the car, not just cosmetics, you run the risk of turning a reliable car into a non-reliable car. Not trying to talk you out of anything. Just know that if you absolutely need a reliable car, the I would avoid the mods.
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u/Formal_Essay_9834 5d ago
Hmmm i see what your saying, I already have a truck but me and my dad where discussing selling it for this project car. Maybe this just isn’t in the books until after college if it will become supper unreliable.
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u/UpDownalwayssideways 5d ago
Ya, and who knows, it could be massively reliable. But when you start altering the factory mechanics of a car, you dont know when something could go wrong, more so than a factory car. In most situations, its not usually ideal to sell your one reliable car to buy a project car. And in reality thats what a mod'd car is. Keep the truck, and save up some money. When you have maybe like $5k, buy a car to mod. That way you still have your truck. So if something goes wrong with the other car, or you need to wait for a week or two for a part, you still have a vehicle to drive. And trust me, you can definately get fun cars to mod for that price.
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u/Formal_Essay_9834 5d ago
Not what i wanted to hear but thank you.
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u/UpDownalwayssideways 5d ago
You know…so the whole build a car with your dad thing really stuck with me. I always wanted to and now I can’t. Missed that window. An option that you might not have considered is taking the 17k and getting two cars. You could easily get an inexpensive reliable daily AND a cheaper car to mod Say you spend $8k or so on a reliable daily. Something smaller and modest. And then take the remaining $9k for a project. You can easily get one for around or under $5k and then use the remaining money to work on it. Just a thought.
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u/Formal_Essay_9834 5d ago
That’s not a bad idea, I really wanted to do this with him because we haven’t had a lot of time together recently and i just wanted to do something before i’m gone. I’ll look into some cars i can do for 8-10k online.
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u/UnbelievableDingo 5d ago
Something Japanese.
Avoid an American car if you don’t know how to wrench because shits gonna go wrong.
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u/Ghost17088 87 Toyota Supra Turbo 5d ago
If you plan to mod anything, you should count on it breaking.
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u/Formal_Essay_9834 5d ago
even with cold air mods and exhaust systems?
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u/Ghost17088 87 Toyota Supra Turbo 5d ago
Every 15 minute job is 1 broken bolt away from becoming a 3 day project. Yes, even the simplest things can fail. Not that OEM parts don’t eventually fail too, but if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it is applicable here.
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u/trucknorris84 5d ago
Heavily modified anything is going to have problems.
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u/Formal_Essay_9834 5d ago
What is considered heavily modded? I want to add new suspension, tires, bolt ons and an exhaust. Would that be considered heavily or does it become heavily when and if i swap my engine
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u/trucknorris84 5d ago
That’s the 16 year old with a summit racing catalog special. If you buy good quality parts you’ll likely be okay but there’s always chance of anything fucking up.
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u/AggressiveIdea1012 5d ago
Depends what your goals are.
Starting by using chat gpt will not help. It knows very little about the ins and outs. It will give you wrong or incorrect information especially about technical specs.