arkwar

Here's the deal.. I'm signed up for the Navy, and I'm going to boot camp about three months from now. No wife / kids / house for me, and I'm looking to spend practically all of my money on a car. I was thinking RX-7, since I've had my '88 since I was 15 and I know how to work on it (swapped new engine in / had to do tons of coolant & oil line work) but I really like how mustangs actually have torque and sound great. I've been looking around here a little bit and I like what I see.... So now that it's just about down to the line, I have pretty much decided to go with a newer mustang. I'm a newb though, so I have a couple questions.

I want whatever 4.6 mustang has the best stock numbers. I could spend 25k just on the car, so I think just about anything is an option. I like the 2005's looks, but not as much as the '00-'04 models. So anything '04 and older.. tell me what you think.

Oh, I am keeping everything stock for a while except wheels/tires/brakes and suspension, so that shouldn't be considered. Just engine/tranny and overall quality. Ah, one more thing.. It needs to be a hardtop. I like the looks, and the extra chassis stiffness is a definite plus because I hope to auto-x it or take it to open track days at the closest race track to wherever I get stationed.

This car would stay street legal, but eventually I'm going to mod the hell out of it. What's the best platform to start out on?

Thanks, and sorry if this has been asked in the past. I did a search and I didn't find what I was looking for..

Quatrocky

03 or 04 used cobra....

David_K

get a FD Rx-7 twin turbo with lots of miles and swap in the 20B 3-rotor twin turbo engine from a mazda cosmo. BADD ***!!!

arkwar

I'm more of an fc guy myself, but a 20B in anything is really nice. Even an RX-2 :O http://lightningrotors.rotary.net.nz/video.htm

The real issue I have with just getting another rotary is the reliability... Stuff breaks all the time on rx-7s, and the engines pop pretty damn quick. 20Bs are a bit more reliable, but the swap itself takes at the very least 10k (usually more like 15k) and tons of custom fab. work. Plus whatever you want to spend modding it...

I'm looking around at '03 Cobras now, and I think that's what I'd like to get.. Thanks for the advice, I'll come back here once I've bought the thing in a few months

neogenic83

or if the cobra is just out of reach. you can get a real low mile mach 1 and have a few bucks left over to mod it. either way you will have a nice stang for that amount of money

JonBeast

Def. get a 03-04 cobra like they said. Best bang for the buck, and they have the look you are going for. Let us know how you make out.

BCisme

an 03 cobra can be had used in the 23K-30K range, depending mielage condition and location. a good 03/04 mach 1 or 01 cobra would be a good alternative. a good, low mielage one can be found easily under 25K.

MEAT

Hey man take it from me I'm new to the Navy too(3 years in July). My advice to you is to save your money until you find out where you first permenant duty station is. Why buy a brand new car and let it sit while your in boot camp, then if your allowed to drive on base at your school you would have to have it shipped to you. Its not worth the trouble just wait to you know where you going to be stationed, save your money through boot camp and school, then buy your new car when you find out where your going. Good luck in whatever you do though.

Fallstar01

The 03 cobra is the only way to go. Both for future mods and stock performance. Your first mod should be a short shifter.

Obselite

Easy---------------03-04 cobra. They have good hard power stock. And, with their forged internals, they are easy as hell to mod out for later. New pully and new exhaust...600-800 bucks gives you another 50 hp.

Or...you could always go with a supra, those are easy to mod as well.

Both look awesome, but the cobra is safer and cheaper to buy/mod.