If my ST ever needs a new body for all the parts I have on my car, this would be it....

[RAAMaudio]

 

[CaptainSlow]

 

[RAAMaudio]

I love my car the way it looks but I also love doing something others have not done and saving weight while at it

I had the first 1ZZ turbo Matrix ever but after a year I started looking at a plain Jane Corolla to do a swap, real sleeper style.

 

[BronxBomber]

I wish Mazda made a Mazdaspeed 2. Hell they don't even sell the new 2 in the states anymore.

 

[RAAMaudio]

It would be a kick arse little car but I am sure Ford does not want the competition when the FiST is not selling so well in this "bigger is better" culture we live in.

 

[GAbOS]

I wouldn't mind a cx-3, which is on the 2's platform.

 

[frankiefiesta]

I wish Mazda made a Mazdaspeed 2. Hell they don't even sell the new 2 in the states anymore.

They do sell the mazda2 sedan as a scion iA

 

[frankiefiesta]

I wouldn't mind a cx-3, which is on the 2's platform.

My girlfriend recently leased a mazda3, but I kept telling her to check out the cx3. Those cars are freaking sexy! The optional red interior was nice

 

[RAAMaudio]

The CX3 is a lot heavier that the 2 but a very nice ride for sure.

The iA might be on the same platform as the 2, also the iM I think it is, the hatch car, looks pretty good as well.


All would be a serious project to swap in a boosted engine, harnesses, etc....I would imagine the 2 the easiest by far.

 

[BronxBomber]

They do sell the mazda2 sedan as a scion iA

I know that. But it's u g l y. We're talking hatches here.

 

[BronxBomber]

On a totally unrelated topic. I found a nice looking 1990 Honda Civic Ef hatch that I think I'm going to buy and make it into a track rat????

 

[RAAMaudio]

I have always preferred trucks, wagons, hatches, etc over sedans which I have only had a few back when into 510's in the early 70's to early 80's and one or two more family cars since. I think nearly all the new cars look far better in the hatch or wagon style over the sedans of our times especially.

 

[BronxBomber]

Ah Rick. You're a European at heart. Everyone knows that hatches and wagons don't sell in the good ole' USA. Hatch pans sport wagons are for the Europeans. Americans like SUVs and trucks and upright sedans. (Spoken in snobby automotive journalist accent). All joking aside, I Agee with you Rick for the most part. I'd love to get me a CTS V wagon with a 6 speed manual. Those are hard to come by. And the focus Estate ST they et in Europe along with the Mazda 6 wagon are gorgeous. I just don't get what the aversion to wagons and hatchbacks is in this country. They drive he same as the sedans and they are more useful and practical from a storage standpoint.

 

[frankiefiesta]

On a totally unrelated topic. I found a nice looking 1990 Honda Civic Ef hatch that I think I'm going to buy and make it into a track rat????

I have a 91 EF hatch on the side of my house. Rolling shell. It's yours if you want it

 

[neeqness]

Ah Rick. You're a European at heart. Everyone knows that hatches and wagons don't sell in the good ole' USA. Hatch pans sport wagons are for the Europeans. Americans like SUVs and trucks and upright sedans. (Spoken in snobby automotive journalist accent). All joking aside, I Agee with you Rick for the most part. I'd love to get me a CTS V wagon with a 6 speed manual. Those are hard to come by. And the focus Estate ST they et in Europe along with the Mazda 6 wagon are gorgeous. I just don't get what the aversion to wagons and hatchbacks is in this country. They drive he same as the sedans and they are more useful and practical from a storage standpoint.

I'm American and I love hatches. Don't like wagons though. I also don't really like sedans. I do like sport coupes however. When it comes to trucks and SUVs I can't really say that I like or dislike them. Rather I see them as utility for a purpose. If I don't need to lug a bunch of stuff around that won't fit in my hatch, then I don't have a purpose for it. I live in an urban city (one of the largest) and smaller and more efficient (to me) is better if it is all I need.

I also think we seem to not like wagons because here years ago when wagons were more popular, they were typically slow and ugly. Usually only moms drove them too. They were like the modern day "soccer mom" minivan (before SUVs came on the scene). They were never really built to be fun to drive and so no one expects them to be. This has given them somewhat of a negative connotation that sort of stuck. 10 years (or maybe less) from now I expect minivans to be in the same boat. Only thing keeping them somewhat in the game I think is fuel economy but SUV sales are still beating them by a long shot. Also SUVS look soooo much better...and us Americans tend to be fairly shallow.

Sent using Tapatalk

 

[RAAMaudio]

My next car after my 510 days was a VW bug that came with the new wife, it was OK but sure not as fun! I had a bunch of parts left from the 510 days so ditched the VW and bought a 710 wagon I modded quite a bit and loved it, some may not want to believe I beat up on every Porsche I came across in the mountains of SoCal. (most of those guys could not drive that very hard to tame car back then)

--------------------

R&T gets it, their list of ten best cars nobody buys includes mostly hatches and wagons.....

--------------------

Though the Honda is a great platform it is so overplayed there is nothing one can do not already done, just not challenge in it, I have always preferred the lessor known, the underdog, the ignored....in my 510 days I was looked at like some kind of weirdo by my own family all into detroit iron flexmobiles with big engines and not much else but some had nice styling at least.

 

[RAAMaudio]

I think some of the newer minivans look damn nice and often have considered modding one just to do it.

They have a lower CG than SUV's, less weight sometimes at least, can be made to drive quite well, Honday One Lap comes to mind....and a lot of room inside.

I do have a Duramax dually but I tow heavy load, it drives far better than one might believe, not FiST of course but not that bad. I see a bunch of big toyhaulers behind single rear wheel pickups all the time, saw one today with some huge wheels, lifted, absolutely stupid as way over weight, not legal, not safe, hauling arse....lots of dumb sheats on the road here....

 

[neeqness]

Of course. There are definitely a few exceptions to the rule.

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[BronxBomber]

I have a 91 EF hatch on the side of my house. Rolling shell. It's yours if you want it

If I still lived in the Bronx, I might take u up on that offer. Thanks btw.

 

[BronxBomber]

(As stated by RaamAudio)"Though the Honda is a great platform it is so overplayed there is nothing one can do not already done, just not challenge in it, I have always preferred the lessor known, the underdog, the ignored....in my 510 days I was looked at like some kind of weirdo by my own family all into detroit iron flexmobiles with big engines and not much else but some had nice styling at least."

I've always liked the EF hatch. I'm not a Honda fanboy by any stretch. However, it has the things that I look for in a FWD platform. Independent suspension, light weight, no electrical nannies diluting the driving experience, great aftermarket presence, and you don't see them that often, especially not in good shape. I found one in very good cosmetic shape & I can dedictate my efforts on lightening it, restoring the interior to my taste and doing a motor swap. Probably an H22a or B18c1. Always wanted a highly tuned all motor car I could routinely ring to 7,500 RPM. To each his own, I get it. My EF will be different from most you see. Plus parts are super cheap even compared to our cars. Looking forward to it.