good fun manual car for $500

[fpmesiIII]

I was wondering what would be a good fun car thats a manual drive for around $500. what years, makes, models would be good for these requirements? thanks

[Jonas McFeely]

I had an '86 Holda CRX SI 5 speed that i bought for $275.I had so much damn fun with that car.It only weighed 1900lbs and only had 91hp,but that thing would move.Great car,i still miss it

I had an '85 Nissan 300ZX non turbo 5 speed that was also a blast.I paid $651 for it.It was a little under powered and heavy,but it would corner like crazy.

Look for a 1st gen CRX or an older Mazda GLC or 323,they are cheap,fun,reliable and get great gas mileage.

[Spyder]

ANY car or truck you pay five hundred bucks for is gonna be a blast. You ain't gonna care what happens to it...

And on THAT note, I've got an 84 3/4 ton GMC pickup that you should buy for five hundred bucks!

[Jesda]

If you can give up "fun" you can go buy a Corolla, Toyota pickup, Cavalier, Mazda 323, etc.

Actually, Geo Metros and Mazda 323s are fun to beat on.

[I~LUV~Caddys8792]

Ummm.... I guess any sort of an '80s Honda?

[Blackout]

go to autotrader.com and put in your addy and do a search for all makes and models with a manual tranny and that should basically answer your question for ya

[Wiseguy2]

If you're patient.. an 83-84 BMW 533i or 85-88 535i, warning.. it will be rough.

Might be able to snag a serviceable 325e as well.

[LS1Mike]

Turbo Dodge, you can pick those up cheap turn up the boost and run 14 second 1/4 miles. Good stuff.

[CadiJeff]

beater f body (once sold an 84 fbird for 400 bucks) beater fiero might be alright too

[Red_October_7000]

If you want something fun to play with (but please don't destroy it as they are special!) the MKI Toyota MR2s (1985-1989) are an absolute blast to drive. Mid-mount engine gives them something like 49-51 near-perfect weight bias, 112 HP in a car that weighs barely a ton coupled to a 5-speed with a clutch that's like butter. They're a blast to drive, the motor is cheap to maintain and will run forever (someone bought a new motor after he lost all his oil and drove home with no oil, ruining the motor. Before installing the new one he decides to blow the old one for fun, as it was already ruined but still running. Took seven minutes at WOT (about 8K revs) to blow it WITH NO OIL). They can be had for $500 or even less. The supercharged ones go for more but they are capable of 150 MPH. You realy don't need that, though, if you're just out to have some fun. I've got one and I'd recommend it to anyone.

[EcSTSatic]

Originally Posted by fpmesiIII

I was wondering what would be a good fun car thats a manual drive for around $500. what years, makes, models would be good for these requirements? thanks

What's your idea of "fun" in NY? Does it need to be fast? Bulletproof? Is gas mileage a concern? Does it need to have a decent body?

[fpmesiIII]

Originally Posted by EcSTSatic

What's your idea of "fun" in NY? Does it need to be fast? Bulletproof? Is gas mileage a concern? Does it need to have a decent body?

just something thats a good driver, doesn't necessarily have to be wicked fast. something you can whip around in and have a smile on your face every once awhile. good gas mileage would be a plus. doesn't even really have to be bulletproof. just something so i can learn manual and have the above attributes. and cheap around $500.

[Red_October_7000]

MR2 is great to learn the fundamentals of manual trannies in because of the hydraulic clutch. You will have a little bit of learning curve when you step into a mechanical clutch car, but it won't be steep.