Fun car for $5k

[RedVenom48]

I had a blue/white 01. I think my 3rd or 4th bike. GD that bike was fun. You'd twist the throttle and it felt like Jesus was sending you to Mars on a rocket LOL

Was that the first year of Fuel Injection for the R1? My 2004 FZ1 had the last carbureter version of the R1 engine. Yamaha added a set of mid range cams and a tuned exhaust flap to boost low and midrange power. For a 1000cc bike, that thing popped a wheelie like it made money doing it.

What scared the shit out of me was that it pulled HARD once you got over 8k... **** me running that was a lot of fun...

 

[StrayBullitt]

Was that the first year of Fuel Injection for the R1? My 2004 FZ1 had the last carbureter version of the R1 engine.

I think 2002 was first year of FI and updated body style.. still a good looking bike imo if any are still running around out there.

Do you still ride ? I heard AZ was a very dangerous state to ride in.. like among the worst if I remember correctly.

 

[PaxtonShelby]

The 86-88 5.0 T-Birds & Cougars are neat...or even a Mk VII LSC. Oh yeah I like me some LSC action.

T5 swaps are easy too. And the air bag suspension on the Lincolns is easy to replace with coil spring kits.

 

[nxhappy]

Was that the first year of Fuel Injection for the R1? My 2004 FZ1 had the last carbureter version of the R1 engine. Yamaha added a set of mid range cams and a tuned exhaust flap to boost low and midrange power. For a 1000cc bike, that thing popped a wheelie like it made money doing it.

What scared the shit out of me was that it pulled HARD once you got over 8k... **** me running that was a lot of fun...

that was the first bike I wheelied LOL. The 01 R1 was injected but it did have the "choke" to warm it up. Man....yamaha sure did make a golden egg with that one. What a ****ing beast.

 

[RedVenom48]

I think 2002 was first year of FI and updated body style.. still a good looking bike imo if any are still running around out there.

Do you still ride ? I heard AZ was a very dangerous state to ride in.. like among the worst if I remember correctly.

No, i sold the FZ1 about a year after I got here to Phoenix. You are 100% correct, its 100x worse than CA and thats mindblowing for me to say that out loud.

Combined with the fact that Id be cruising on the freeway, minding my own business. Id look down at the speedo and it was at 120.... more often than not too. I would have gotten a bunch of tickets out here or worse, smoked in traffic jams.

Arizona has no lane splitting allowed. Contrary to popular belief its safer than sitting in traffic (so many guys get rear ended in traffic jams). Except in AZ drivers are so bad and so unpredictable its suicide to split.

Sides, I like air condition in the summer heat lol

 

[offroadkarter]

I just realized the OP said "not looking for a fast car or a project, thinking like a wrangler" and 80% of the suggestions are something that can be built into a hotrod. Love this forum lol

I'm surprised someone didn't somehow suggest an ecoboost SHO.

Well to piggyback off @Handlebar Moustache's post, if you don't want to pay the jeep tax and don't want to see yourself again and again on the trails, a first gen explorer will do fine offroad with a lift and some 33s. My brother has a 94 with a M5OD swap and locker in the rear. Paid 1500 for this back in 2009 in all stock condition.

 

[Handlebar Moustache]

I just realized the OP said "not looking for a fast car or a project, thinking like a wrangler" and 80% of the suggestions are something that can be built into a hotrod. Love this forum lol

I'm surprised someone didn't somehow suggest an ecoboost SHO.

Well to piggyback off @Handlebar Moustache's post, if you don't want to pay the jeep tax and don't want to see yourself again and again on the trails, a first gen explorer will do fine offroad with a lift and some 33s. My brother has a 94 with a M5OD swap and locker in the rear. Paid 1500 for this back in 2009 in all stock condition.

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Nice! They don’t get the credit that they deserve. I had a lifted & locked 92 on 31s. It was a great truck and could always hold it’s own. Some kid got a steal when I sold it. The 4.0 ohv is a tough engine.

 

[chao5.0]

I just bought a LS f body for a DD fun car, I would've preferred a manual but seeing how clean this auto was I couldn't pass it up, hell the dash isn't even cracked and it was 100% stock and everything works.

 

[lilcoop03]

I just bought a LS f body for a DD fun car, I would've preferred a manual but seeing how clean this auto was I couldn't pass it up, hell the dash isn't even cracked and it was 100% stock and everything works.

What year and how much $?

 

[chao5.0]

What year and how much $?

99 and I paid $7K for it, put the guy just put a lot of work into maintenance and everything works great and the only real issue is with the spider webbing in the paint on the front and rear bumpers which you don't see unless you get up close. I see a bunch of LS cars for sale for cheaper but they are trashed and I saw a 02 T/A for sale for the same amount and that car need probably $3k worth of work just to make it a reliable DD.

 

[RedVenom48]

I’ll probably be getting a new daily driver next year and may just have some fun money left over. I’d like to get something fun just to mess around in. I was thinking of an old Jeep Wrangler or something.
I’m not looking for anything fast or a project car.
Any other ideas?
Thanks

I totally forgot to add a legit vehicle to your list:

2001-2005 Excursion V10 4x4. You wont get a diesel version in good shape for $5k, but the V10 is a pretty damn good engine if its maintained. Front and rear leafs, Sterling 10.5 rear with a Dana 50 up front. The 2003-2004 Super Duties all supposedly came with the Dana 60 in leaf spring setup and there are a TON of good off-road lockers and diffs for the 60. Swap in a 60 and you have a beast of of capable vehicle.

I love my 01 Excursion. Her name is Tank because... well... she a damn tank. Pull a camper trailer/toy hauler to the desert, beach or forest then go 4x4ing with the Excursion. Some badasses have turned their Excursions into rock crawlers on 40's... its a damn capable truck.

 

[Zemedici]

that was the first bike I wheelied LOL. The 01 R1 was injected but it did have the "choke" to warm it up. Man....yamaha sure did make a golden egg with that one. What a ****ing beast.

pfff shoulda rode my 2015 R1

97mph in 1st gear. ****ing thing power wheelied on my way to work one day, when a Mclaren pulled up next to me.

That's a good thing to do at 6:45 am lolol nice little wakeup

 

[earico]

pfff shoulda rode my 2015 R1

97mph in 1st gear. ****ing thing power wheelied on my way to work one day, when a Mclaren pulled up next to me.

That's a good thing to do at 6:45 am lolol nice little wakeup

#nosquidhere

 

[Zemedici]

#nosquidhere

miss the 2 wheel days sometimes.

Then I drive down the interstate and see every single ****ing pleb on their Facebook going 80mph, and realize they wouldn't lose a wink of sleep if they ran me the **** over. I flip back and forth weekly, but as of late its been 'never again'

 

[RedVenom48]

miss the 2 wheel days sometimes.

Then I drive down the interstate and see every single ****ing pleb on their Facebook going 80mph, and realize they wouldn't lose a wink of sleep if htey ran me the **** over. I flip back and forth weekly, but as of late its been 'never again'

I think in a few years if you have the itch, find one thats like 5K... like OP's budget. Something that you can pull out, scratch the hell out of the itch and put it away again.

Id love to find a 2006-2010 FZ1. Im older and like the more upright riding style... but I still want the brutality of a 1000cc engine and the ease of fuel injection. Nice part is they are going for 3K-5K in decent shape. In a few years they may be closer to 2-3K. Yamaha, Honda, Suzuki and Kawasaki have been pretty good about trying to one up each other. Usually means that their pretty affordable new prices drop used market prices like a rock. Some riders HAVE TO HAVE the new hotness as soon as its launched.

 

[Zemedici]

I think in a few years if you have the itch, find one thats like 5K... like OP's budget. Something that you can pull out, scratch the hell out of the itch and put it away again.

Id love to find a 2006-2010 FZ1. Im older and like the more upright riding style... but I still want the brutality of a 1000cc engine and the ease of fuel injection.

you a real one for wanting a naked bike.

But I'm with you, The R1 was too ****ing nice, I didn't want to take it anywhere.

Put hardly any miles on it.

I'd want an older GSXR600 that I can just thrash on and not worry about scratching it.

Or Fire Blue 2012 S1000RR

But then we're up to $8k again

 

[mysticsvt]

miss the 2 wheel days sometimes.

Then I drive down the interstate and see every single ****ing pleb on their Facebook going 80mph, and realize they wouldn't lose a wink of sleep if they ran me the **** over. I flip back and forth weekly, but as of late its been 'never again'

Miss Them Myself

 

[mysticsvt]

Miss Them Myself
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Here is my Niece on my 929RR...the bike died a horrible death....unfortunately so did my niece at 18.

 

[RedVenom48]

View attachment 1578118

Here is my Niece on my 929RR...the bike died a horrible death....unfortunately so did my niece at 18.

Sorry to hear that Mystic... thats always the dark horse in the room when talking about bikes

 

[mysticsvt]

Sorry to hear that Mystic... thats always the dark horse in the room when talking about bikes

Yeah, everytime I came back from a ride I was thankful I didn't die and didn't go to jail. Both are always right around the corner.