Have you checked out the vintage car clubs online? Many of us have project cars sitting that we will never get to. If you have a shop of your own you can build it as you want. For a daily driver there is nothing wrong with a Subaru Baha. Hell my dad who is 86 bought one with a stick and turbo and the car lot wound up putting a new engine in it. He finally realized he was not going to afford a supercharged Studebaker. I built my 64 Studebaker Challenger back in the early 80s and some of you may have seen me running at SIR supercharged. Right now I am running 396 hp at the rear wheels naturally aspirated and for the piss poor roads in this state that is plenty of horsepower.

When I was still working at dealerships some fool was always wanting to run against me either in one of my cars or my truck when I felt like running I did not lose. If you build it right traffic will not be a problem.

I have a 2009 Challenger SRT8 with a stick shift.
Driven my buddies convertible stick 5.0 mustang.
We both like driving my Challenger more.
Fun as all hell, haven’t had a single issue with the challenger, or my 06 Ram with a hemi and 150k on it.
I am a mopar or no car household and haven’t had shit for issues minus a couple newer ones, the batteries will crap a cell in them and they will act weird, new battery and back to normal.

Honestly if 20-30k is your budget and you want some god damn fun.
Spend a little more, and get a used Viper, can get a mid 2000’s for 35-45k with pretty damn low miles, can find 90’s ones for under 30k, I’m sure they won’t ever go much under what the prices are now. I would be buying one myself but I gotta get drivers licenses and insure my next 2 daughters for the next 5 years and don’t even wanna know what it would do with a Viper on the same policy and my insurance agent hasn’t responded if there is way to bypass and exclude them.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I’m with Sinus in this. If you want a manual get a muscle car. But if you want an auto, get a German. Either a v8 bmw or a v8 Merc like a c63 amg. If you go German, there are a couple years to stay away from, but for the most part, you can’t go wrong.

Here’s a screenshot of what I can do to my twin turbo v8 merc for $1,500. Add that to stock 400hp and 430tq on my 2014 e550



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Mustangs with auto's are chick cars, whereas Steve Mcqueen drove a mustang with a stick in bullet. Need i say more?

Always driven Fords... ok Ford (singular) F150 for the last 250,000 miles

But if I were to buy a muscle car it would be a Corvette

Had Ford kept the GT40 program on track it would be right up there too, but they didn't

Get a Challenger that’s a manual. I used to have a ‘12 RT manual, and ‘13 SRT8 manual. Great cars! Fast and fun. Never had issues. My wife now drives my ‘07 300c SRT8 (automatic). New mustangs are fast, but they’re so damn ugly. Even uglier than the Camaro.

Driven one yet?

If you buy a Mustang make sure it is a 2015 or newer. The 5.0 Coyote is among the best engines Ford has ever made, both powerful and reliable.

The 2015's have an independent rear suspension and handle much better than the earlier Stangs.

If I'm going to buy a car with that much power I want a stick but that is my personal preference.

I know my EV truck recommendation doesn't check the sound of a V8 box. 0-60 in 3 seconds, 750 hp, 400 mile range, 11,000 lb towing, and a truck with a trunk didn't check the boxes.


What about getting a 77 Ford Highboy?

I like the suggestions of classic cars or hot rods. New(er) rides are great, but there is something about a classic. My grandfather had a 40's International truck that I loved riding in. An older truck would be cool to own.

a dark period car BUT.....pretty much the most modern Merc that can be sufficiently wrenched on by a homegamer (W211 chassis)

good cars actually regardless of what people say on the internet.

My '96 F-150 had a 5 speed manual.
From my house on College Hill (Factoria) to my office in Redmond I had to shift well over 100 times.
Returned the truck under Lemon Law and next vehicle was an auto (Suburban).

Wifes 2007 Ford Mustang transmission went bad at 124,000 miles. Her 1999 Ford Explorer went bad at 122,000. Doubt we will ever buy another new Ford vehicle again

Thats a dam good looking truck. And Im not a ford guy either! Bob Chandler would approve!

Just to close this out, lots of great and helpful suggestions.

I ended up with a mint condition 2012 Challenger SRT8 manual Tremec 6 speed with the 6.4 liter 392 Hemi. Car only had 6300 miles and was garaged and shown by the prior single owner who sold it due to aging knees and inability to drive it any more. Anyway, car is gorgeous and exactly what I wanted. 470 hp, 470 ft/lbs torque, excellent transmission, handling, and suspension. Brembo performance brakes. Drives, accelerates, stops, and handles and sounds awesome. I bought it for 1/2 the original retail 2012 price, for pretty much a new car that's been mostly stored.

Went on an exciting road trip to southern Nevada to get it. 12 hours drive round trip. Views of the Rocky's and big open straight aways the entire trip. The adventure was awesome, once in a lifetime deal.

I'm stoked!