It’s the nicest Panamera ever. It’s still not a pretty car or anything close to it. The fact that many think so says more about the current state of automotive design and our lowered expectations than anything else. Waistlines have gotten so high and weight has increased so much that anything short of a total turd is…

That’s totally true, but hopefully when I say 100-200 hours people realize that’s a huge amount of time... even if you start with the nicer example I linked, you can’t knock out a project like this in a month or two. More like 3-6 if you have a 9-5 job. And I did mention you would need a garage for this level of…

Get out of my head.
Just kidding, you can stay.

A heart-breakingly pretty car, even with that gawping enormous grill and the tragic over-branded interior.

For sure. I have not had issues getting things off ebay either. Forums are another great resource. Every car has one and every forum has guys trying to get rid of parts. Prices always blow factory prices away, even on cheap Mazda parts.

Stars for you my friend. Where?

Sigh.

If you are handy with the Lexus V8, I bet you could get pretty familiar with an LS1 in short order. I haven’t been able to source LS motors in a cost effective way so I had my eyes on a ford swap. I’m also eventually moving this car to California which creates its own set of challenges. But with either ford or LS…

So, another guy doing a performance build, telling me it MUST cost lots of money to be done right... that’s what you get for building a land yacht to go fast, buddy! I linked those engine builders to prove that it can be done, not that a builder should use them necessarily. Sometimes the cheap way IS the right way -…

I hear you on the reliability thing. One of the lovely parts of the Miata is that making a ratty one reliable isn’t too hard. The Fiat... well... goes without saying that it should probably not be your main mode of transport in the first 3-6 months of owning it.

I would think what you would get for an IS300, depending…

10 listed for the whole country... on one website? mkay.

I fully agree Miata is a better platform and you will get more for your money. If you must have the vintage vibe, this is viable. Yes, you need to cut out sheetmetal and patch in new panels if you want it to be perfect. You can also just cut out the rot and rustoelum the rest and deal. That’s the entire point of…

I’m telling you from personal experience, it doesn’t have to be that way. But as I’ve said from the beginning, you need to enjoy working on the car and want that as part of the reward. If that’s not your bag, then yes, buy the $8k sorted out example, 100% yes. Just know that if something goes wrong with it, you will…

Also, his Z is or was putting out 300hp/300tq... that’s major mods. You have to fight that bug, I think. The 1.7L in this car would put out 116hp in healthy form. Plenty for a car this small.

A builder needs to be disciplined and patient. He or she needs to be able to resist the siren call of shiny parts and understand when it’s good enough. If what I describe is cheap and simple, it’s because I’m not going to put the entire process into a post - you could fill a book, as part 33 of the story you linked…

Having said all that, if you don’t like doing body work and paint, you can start with something like this:

On planet DIY.

D to the I to the Y, my friend. Yes, I’m talking ebay body panels, learn to use evercoat, rustoleum paint job. Maybe even get a cheap welder and learn to do patch panels. Very few cars are honestly worth a “proper” multi-thousand dollar paint job. This is just a cheap little fun roadster, that level of finish isn’t…

Here come the haters who don’t like to get their hands dirty... guys, it’s $1300. If you are starting from NOTHING, look at it this way, if you do it all DIY with manuals and youtube videos in a garage:

Car: 1300
Bodywork: 500
Paint: 500
Gaskets/Seals/anything rubber in the engine bay or elsewhere: 500
Tires: 500
Basic…

The Chevy SS would like to have a word with you.

415HP LS3 V8
Magnetic suspension
3975lb curb weight
0-60: 4.6s
1/4: 13s
skidpad: .97g
MRSP: about $46,575
Manual transmission
RWD