pity your budget is so low, for 5k any V8 will be a sh!tter & it wont reflect how good a V8 can really be. At 5k it'll no doubt be a thrashed POS that you'll be left paying the repair bills to keep it running. i paid more than 5k for a bare block for my junk but then my junk would eat all the options you're looking at for breakfast. don't disappoint yourself & increase your budget & buy a real V8 they're sooo much more fun.
chris241,
Sep 17, 10:35pm
Not every car has beenthrashed and not every one has a huge budget to blow. My holden is in very good condition and hasbeen well looked after runs and drives mint. So i dissagree with your comment that any v8 for 5k will be a POS. Theres a lot out there for that kind of money you just got to pick the right one. I dont drive mine to much just nice to have it there when i need/want to.
3tomany,
Sep 17, 10:38pm
that is ugly
elect70,
Sep 17, 10:49pm
Go for the BMW but make sure its NZ new & gotservice history, power pace, grace .
chris241,
Sep 17, 11:05pm
at the end of the day buy the one that you like not the one that everyone on here wants you to buy. Drive a few you may not like any of them. Ill just stick to me TAXI cause i like
chris241,
Sep 17, 11:09pm
Thats one of the uglyst cars ive seen yet i thought that other nissan was bad but DANG youve out done yourself on this one lol
chris241,
Sep 17, 11:19pm
Yea i agree with you but its not realy my taste doesnt do it for me. But hey i havnt been in one so cant realy coment bar on the way it looks
carkitter,
Sep 17, 11:39pm
We are talking about a 270hp, 1650kg, 4-spd auto, Jap luxo-barge here, aren't we! Not a competitor to a Porsche 928 GTS. One of these would take an age to get to 180km/h and would be frightening at more than that speed. And 3 of what to go! Cat-lives perhaps! Certainly not gears.
stevexc,
Sep 18, 12:09am
The Cima and the Leopard are both based on the Y32 chassis.The J50 was for the President and G45.My favourite is the Cedric/Gloria Grand Turismo but no V8 in those.Grand Turismo front should bolt on to a Cima though, perfect!Only problem is I would have to sell my Fairmont and that just isn't going to happen.
guider1,
Sep 18, 12:42am
What a load of rubbish. My "shitter" as you put it cost me less than $3k, never touched anything for 2yrs of absolute over-the-top abuse to it. brakes on fire in burnout comps, overheated it severely on several occasions, been through a drain at speed. 27 sets of NEW rear tyres in 2yrs. Didnt spend a cent on it apart from normal servicing.
Over $5k for a block!. lol, my $500 factory chev block with it's cast caps & $500 factory chev crank ran 9.0 in a door car & spun to 8800 just fine.
hotrodtodd1,
Sep 18, 1:27am
For your $5000 budget, I would look at a Toyota V8s - Soarer if you want two doors or the Celsior! if you want the 4 doors. Its the Lexus L400 for the Japanese market.
The bulid quality was superb, so 180kms later, you can almost guarantee it will be in better shape than a $5000 V8 Holden or Falcoon.
And they are likely to be more reliable than the $5000 Euro BMW/Merc/Jag options
edangus,
Sep 18, 3:15am
Ok, lot of tossing going on in here.
Fact - NZ New BMW 740I - 1995 All leather, all options. 161,000km on clock. Bought 6 weeks ago $4,200 cash. WOF and Reg and in very good nick. It pays to shop around.
Being a 70's car fan, this is the closest thing that actually drives like a 70's V8 but has the comfort (and a lot of soundproofing for my old ears)
bellky,
Sep 18, 4:59am
get an eb xr8 - in your budget, cheap to run (for v8), cheap to look after, good resale, and it's a ford. don't get a bmw.
rovercitroen,
Sep 18, 6:11am
That was a bargain. The 740 is a lovely car. Sometimes regret selling mine.
chris_051,
Sep 18, 9:05am
+1 bullet proof cars too. Might get the odd airbag or abs sensor pack up but parts are dirt cheap ex Europe. These E38 and E39 7 and 5 series put anything else to shame engineering wise, they still held their own 10 years on.
phillip.weston,
Sep 18, 9:48am
Yes I would agree the Toyota V8s make the most sense on paper. The 1UZ-FE is an amazing engine, even though it's not all that powerful it is incredibly well developed and will literally last a million kms. In reality both the LS400/Celsior and SC400/Soarers are a bore to drive in standard form. The LS400 looks like an over-sized Camry with no soul and barge-like handling while the SC400 just looks incredibly out-dated and out of proportion. The SC400 however utilises much the same chassis/suspension as the JZA80 Supra and are a great handling car when you get rid of a bit of weight in them. Quite fun when converted to manual also.
phillip.weston,
Sep 18, 10:11am
Amen. They make for some good used car buying. The 4.4L BMW V8 packs quite a punch - 210kW from 4.4L when at the time Holden's flagship 5.0L Clubsport was parading 185i badges on it.
vtecnet,
Sep 18, 10:20am
Hmmmm, I'm thinking Soarer + manual conversion, have already read up how to fixed the blinky dash issue, as most get this issue. but now looking into manual conversions. W58 gearbox compatibility etc. I don't mind having a 2dr Coupe and it will still be a lot more fun then my 1991 Honda Prelude vtec.
phillip.weston,
Sep 18, 10:26am
my flatmate has had multiple soarers. Currently has a UZZ30. Door hinges are heavy and complex and like to wear out. Not only does the dash have the blinky problem, but the air con/heating control LCD screen always 'bleeds' on the models without touchscreen control. Window switches often play up. If you put too much power through the rear driveshafts the inner CV joints break. That's all I can think of from the top of my head.
phillip.weston,
Sep 18, 10:27am
A good platform if you don't care about how hideous they look.
bellky,
Sep 18, 9:53pm
the reason i don't like them is the image they give. lol
richardmayes,
Sep 19, 3:39am
185kW. wow, that's almost as much power as a modern 3 litre V6!
edangus,
Sep 19, 3:43am
Until it hit the corner and then the EVO owned it!
edangus,
Sep 19, 3:45am
Yeah, thats why I wont drive Mercs, Commies, Sylvias or Skylines.
Rather a BMW any day over those
phillip.weston,
Sep 19, 4:37am
When did the 215i come onto the market! Not til the VT I'm sure. BMW had their 4.4L 210kW unit in the early 90s. Can you really find a 215i or even a 185i for half of $5000-7000 these days! I would love to see one.
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