I have been doing heavy research into what car is the best for modding. The 350z seems like a top canadate along with the S2000 and RX-8. I am looking for a 2 to 3 year old car to make a project car. I realize this may be a bias place to ask but what are your top picks or ideas on the best car to mod on the merit of long term quality, aftermarket appeal, costs, and upgradability being a few areas I am interested in. Input is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

Stay away from the rotary engines. S2k or 350Z are both fine for modding

 

sort of depends on what you are building your car for, a tracker? or a crazy fast street car that can blow 99% of the cars out of their doors? (1% being Bugatti, CCX and SL65)

 

Strictly speaking modding the car:

-350Z
-Evo
-STI

 

Might want to do some research on what it takes to mod this engine for F/I . If that are your plans , start with a car that is already is F/I

 

I am interested in F/I since it seems the best most cost effective way to get large power gains. I am looking for an all around developed car. A track car that remains street legal.

thanks for the input, keep it coming

 

damn you really butchered candidate

 

1. ZO6 (really don't have to mod this one much)
2. 350Z (I know some tuners here in cali that are getting 700+ rwhp out of the Z, soon to be more)
3. VW R32 (If you're lucky enough to find one) 450+ all wheel hp HPA and EIP
4. STI (there is a plethera of components out there for these cars)
5. M3 (very expensive to mod but great car)
6. S2000 (lacking on torque, but a lightwieght car that has potential)
7. Evo (again, a lot of items for this car)
8. RX-7 (I saw a gnarly one with a LS7 in it)
9. Supra (if you can find one at a decent price, the sky is the limit)
10. RX-8

*11. Pontiac Solstice (for around $50,000 all together you can have a Solstice with a 400 hp LS2, or the 505 hp LS7, with suspension upgrades. Feb 06 issue of Car and Driver)

thats my quickly arranged top 10. I know a lot of these are debatable, but I'm trying to take into accout affordability and what I've seen out there as far as cars being moded and actually being fast.

 

^^Not bad. I just hope the cars are not in order...

 

^land of chicken & kool-aid? are you from geooogia ?

 

STI, EVO, or wait for the Saturn Sky Redline (or get the base model and put an LS7 in it).

 

My list would have a few small changes:

1. ZO6 (really don't have to mod this one much)
2. 350Z (I know some tuners here in cali that are getting 700+ rwhp out of the Z, soon to be more)
3. Supra (if you can find one at a decent price, the sky is the limit)
4. Skyline GTR
5. Evo (a lot of items for this car and the inline 4)
6. M3 (very expensive to mod but great car)
7. S2000 (lacking on torque, but a lightwieght car that has potential)
8. STI (owned one and when you have enough power to play, you find out that your car has no fun left in it. Most of the stock parts won't hold the power)
9. RX-7 (I saw a gnarly one with a LS7 in it)
10. VW R32 (If you're lucky enough to find one) 450+ all wheel hp HPA and EIP

 

so you think that 350Z has better potential than Skyline and Supra...hmm

 

saw one of those high output ls2s (650 hp version ) in a solstice at the hot rod power tour...was running 11.4s....and it sounded spoogeriffic!!

 

Are you looking for a street car, road race, or drag car?

STI & EVO's mod per dollar are your best bet... $1500.00 in either car will net you aprx 330whp/350wtq - another 2k and you're over 400whp with out any drama...

I love the Z/ and my G - but it's more expensive to mod vs the STI/EVO...

 

the RX-8 absolutely sucks at getting more power out of the engine - I mean it's pretty horrible

 

i heard you can turbo an rx8 and since it has rotory with less parts and more efficient it less likey to break something. Just speculation.

As far as that that would be decent power and those cars are supposed to handle real well.

Since the rx-8 , has a bad rep for low power.... boosting it would make it a potent sleeper.

I wouldnt mind having a boosed rx-8, i could use the extra seats.

 

Rotary motors are supposely more efficient but they are prone to failure. Little modding mistakes will bite you in the ***, each mod (air mods -intake, full exhaust, midpipe, etc.) has to be tuned for or you run the risk of blown motor. With lots of research and maintainance, an rx7 is a great car to have.

It is better to work on 3rd gen rx7 motor than the new rx8 renesis.

Pricewise i agree that Evos cost less to mod for better gains.

 

personally i'd take the STi or S2k for strictly mod purposes..

the STi and EVO are cheap to mod to get bigger gains, but I prefer to know that my car will "live" Mitsu are known for their poor reliablility...
and the S2k because if you have deep pockets, slap on a turbo or an S/C and the car will be the ultimate tracker...

 

I like your list, although I left out the GTR because the least expensive way to get one is to buy it in Japan and pay $4000 or more to ship it. I saw one go for around $100,000 out here in Cali! Ridiculous!!! It is a great car none the less. One word... Nuremburg.

All I can say is damn!