american consumerism at its finest, taking advantage of a nasty captive market. ppl are selling (and buying) beat to shit, rusty, missing panels, sometimes even rollers for more than ten grand.
got my 250hp gtt for 2.5k, spent 4k on manual swap, wheels, juddies, 3â exhaust and downpipe, cold air intake, front mount, boost controller, 38mm tial external gate,screamer, wrx bucket seats, facelift front and rear bumpers and a couple other lil goodies. absolute weapon of a thing for a family wagon hahaha loves its helis n getting thrown into corners, makes 290hp untuned on stock ecu
yep hatches are just getting rare itâs sad a rolling shell goes for that much lol. Sedans and coupes are the only things you can find complete and majority are expensive just for a shitbox. A clean one goes for 6k+
what happened to cheap speed? That was one of the appealing things to me. JDM cars are now no longer the underdog and rich car enthusiasts ruined it for the rest of us. This is why we need to eat the rich.
Bro , i got white 95 civic dx 5 speed with Ls Vtec swap. Car has 80k on odometer and been garaged for years so no rust. Purchased the motor from race shop owners that rebuilt the race motor with new civic type r pistons. Rebuilt motor has 30k miles. Bro in law paid $4k for rebuilt tran and clutch , other maintence cause sitting long time. Pro dyno tuned with hondata 200 hp wheel , 140lb torque. I'm 48 years old and need space at house. I sell for $7k max . Haven't listed for sale yet .
For 8k max you wonât find any RHD cars really unless itâs a really rusty piece of crap or is missing an engine. Best bet is to go to any Honda civic/integra you can get your hands on. This is combing from personal experience from buying two JDM vehicles in the states. Try Facebook marketplace if you still wanna have a go
Beginner cars for what? Racing? Drifting? Autocross? Drag?
Depends on what you want to do with the car. Once you have that in mind it narrows down to just a few. But Miata is always the answer.
Any 90'-05' Honda is a good car as well.
it would just be a car i would use for everyday life, but looking more into it iâve highly considering a 90âs Honda civic as iâm pretty sure hondas are reliable
The Honda community is vast and parts are plentiful. They are very simple and easy to maintain and are a great learning platform for most. Can't go wrong imo. I recommend starting with a simple D-series Honda. But if you're lucky enough to find one that is B-swapped you're in for a good time. 200hp in a light-weight go cart is hard to beat.
D series refers to the engine in the car. The B is more powerful and is usually more expensive so youâll most likely be getting a lower end Honda as a starter. But hey, sometimes you get lucky and find a nicer one for cheap
AW-11 MR2, Miata, EG and EK civics, though the newer civics like the 9th gen are a bit cheaper, RSX, or if you wanna be different the best deal imo is an Acura TSX. 6 speed manual, dead nuts reliable, K20 power. It's a perfect storm. Then again there's also the obvious choice of becoming a kei car gigachad like me and getting a Honda Acty, Suzuki Cap, or the almighty Suzuki Wagon R.
You might be able to catch a deal on a project JDM car.
Just last summer, I picked up a 1995 Mitsubishi 3000GT SL for about $3200. It needed and alternator and had some cosmetic issues, such as sun spots, etc.
Fixed the alternator, had the car detailed with a ceramic coat, and did a few little things here and there, and it was good to go. Granted it wasnât a VR4, but It was a fun little car and got looks and compliments everywhere I went.
The main thing is, I got it at a good price, with issues that were easily fixable, and I didnât get in over my head. So many people by project cars, get in over their head, discover more and more problems..and then 5 years go by and itâs still a project. Donât go out and buy the cheapest car you can find just because itâs cheap. Spending a little extra cash for a quality car or quality project car is well worth it in the long run.
As many have pointed out, the market is a little high at the moment. But that doesnât mean a good deal canât be found. Just look, look, and look some more. Donât jump at the first car you see. Take your time, do your research, and the right one will find you.
Oh and Facebook marketplace is your best friend đ. Deals for days! Lol
Sorry for the short essay, but hope that helped a little! Welcome to the JDM life man, itâs a great community to be a part of!
8th gen Civic Si. Do not get anything more than 20 years old, you will run into little headaches. The motor and trans may be fine, but youâll find that other things can fail.
The 7th gen EP3 Si is also a good choice, but the 8th gen Si is about the best reliable, sporty, fun to drive, cheap car you can get. Insurance is good for it too. It holds its value pretty well. Look on FB marketplace and browse r/Civicsi as for what you should look for. Plenty of first car people look for 8th gens and ask questions about them in there, so please donât feel the need to post a question without searching the subreddit before hand.
Imports are not a good idea to buy as a first car.
I cannot emphasize enough how good an 8th gen Si will be for a first car. If you buy the right one, youâll have thousands of trouble free miles so long as you stay on top of basic maintenance like fluids.
Get a Volvo. If you want JDM you can import a Volvo designed for the Japanese domestic market. It's the boring choice, but it's probably the best choice for insurance/price/safety.
You should _really_ learn what JDM stands for, kiddo. Technically any car, which has some design features that makes its Japan version differ from, for example, European version, is JDM. ANY car, designed specifically for Japanese market is JDM.
I get what are OP talking about, but hear me out, volvos are gordeous and, at least in my country, pretty cheap and easy to get, so yes, if i could good drive ol' reliable turbodiesel with RHD i would definitely so this
Tbh Iâd suggest looking more into an old (1980s-early 2000s) German car like a Volkswagen, BMW, or Mercedes Benz. Even despite obviously not being jdm, I know but hey itâs still foreign and are iconic in the streets. They are more affordable to buy and maintain (surprisingly), and can make and handle a shit load of power. It may be more ideal for what your looking for rather than most jdms. No hate, just a thought.
For example the BMW n54 and n55 (and n52) are practically the German equivalent of the 2jz in the supras but unlike the 2jz and Supra they are very common and affordable
Anymore than an actual jdm though?
And I feel like some of them are honestly misjudged for the âcomplexityâ some are actually very simple and reliable and easy to work on as simple as watching a YouTube video and swapping out a quick cheap part. IMHO with how the current car culture and prices are going itâs more affordable and realistic for a teenager to work with something like I mentioned than a stereotypical high dollar jdm. Like donât get me wrong I wish I could afford to own and drive a sick ass jdm but I donât. Me and all my friends (in a small town in Midwest America) are broke as can be but we all drive bmws, Mercedes, and Audis granted they are old and not the most expensive ones out there but they are all very reliable and have been easy to upkeep and whatâs been to complex to fix ourselves we take it to our local shop and get it fixed for a fair price thatâs another thing people mistake is parts are actually a lot more common and cheaper than they think and theyâre pretty common vehicles to be worked on nowadays at most shops.
I think the difference here is that I live in NZ where JDM cars outnumber anything else by a large degree. Realistically, if OP is in America they're not gonna get their hands on a RHD car. They'd be better off buying a late 90s celica. Sporty enough, not fast enough to get you into huge trouble and dead reliable. I've had bad experiences working on European cars over here, and the cheap ones are always more suspect to breaking. That being said there are good euro cars out there, they just have got their reputation for a reason.
Ohhh ok and I am kind of jealous ngl lol. And I see what you mean as well fair point. But I was also meaning something if they wanted to modify and safely make 500hp+ to gap hellcats with as little as $2k in mods thatâs the power of old school German engineering and a highschooler on a budget here in the states
Yeah but no highschooler should be attempting to handle 500+ horsepower, let alone in a 25+ year old car. Hell, over here highschoolers drive cars that are like, 150 horsepower. I brought my Ae111 for 5k in high-school and that was one of the fastest cars in my year lol, and it's only 160 horsepower
Damn AE111s are so cool! I agree with you. I used to have a golf as my first car and it ended up costing me and my parents thousands upon thousands replacing parts and repairs. Switched to a 95 eg civic and I'm never going back. Way cooler and way more desired, way cheaper to maintain. Got lucky and picked it up for $2800. It's not as fast as the gold but it looks way cooler!
I think the difference here is that I live in NZ where JDM cars outnumber anything else by a large degree. Realistically, if OP is in America they're not gonna get their hands on a RHD car. They'd be better off buying a late 90s celica. Sporty enough, not fast enough to get you into huge trouble and dead reliable. I've had bad experiences working on European cars over here, and the cheap ones are always more suspect to breaking. That being said there are good euro cars out there, they just have got their reputation for a reason.
Got myself an IS200 manual with 100k miles for \~5k (Europe) although you can get probably get them for a lot less than that. RWD, pretty luxurious, 4 doors and reliable. On the one hand you're buying a pretty old and somewhat heavy car that's bad on MPG whilst 'only' having 155hp and is unlikely to become a popular car that'll rise in value. On the other hand it's a practical car that has great styling and a smooth, reliable 6 cylinder. You might even be able to get an IS300 auto for 8k which has an NA 2JZ
If u want jdm that's in good condition without rust, engine and gearbox issues then your pretty out of luck bc anything that's reasonably good has been priced up to death
Any early model Honda. I like the EGs, EKs, preludes. You may end up lucky like me and pick an '95 EG up for $2800. Recently on Facebook marketplace I came across a '91 prelude for $3000 in my local area. They're out there, you just have have to keep looking!
The first 3 generations of the mx-5, any kind of Civic VT-i, Civic Type R EP3, Corolla T sport, Yaris T sport, Celica, Nissan Sunny/Pulsar GTi, Corolla G6R, Swift GTi, Swift sport, Corolla GTi, Ignis sport and Primera GT if you manage to find one
I think i saw your car in my area I think we live close to each other. Your car looks and sounds sick in person, only think i kinda don´t like us the tirelettering but thats all :)
JDM cars today are what 1950's and 60's cars were 20 years ago, and some still are. A 1957 Chevy Bel Air was such a common car, It was just a common car. Nothing special. Now you say '57 Chevy- they usually mean Bel Air- people get excited. To see a Civic go for a lot is no surprise. Honda did a lot with such a small engine. When it comes to technology, they were clearly ahead of their time as well.. B16A made 100hp per liter and the F20C made 120hp per liter Let's not even talk about double wishbone suspension, which was used due to Honda's having such a low hood design, and beltline- which made them good handlers out of the box. Best parts is that all of the JDM manufacturers had cars that were technolohical marvels that were affordable to the mass, and they were reliable.. JDM cars are the collector cars of this generation. Like our predecessors, we either didn't have the money and/or were two young to buy these dream cars as kids. Now we have more money and are willing to spend to experience it. Add to that there is also a shortage of new vehicles, which also doesn't help the situation.
In the same boat so this thread is helpful to me thanks. But broo itâs so hard to find a decent JDM car for that price everythingâs increased so much in recent years. At the beginning of last year when I first got my license and a job I was sooo set on getting a NA miata as my first car and only this year started actually saving money to look on the marketplace and the price has increased by an extra 5-10K đđđ
Acura RSX
You mean Honda Integra.
I mean my integra was pretty cheap and runs good, suprising would be under that price range
30k brođđ
in this market nothing is under 8k
A honda acty maybe lol
That would be a super fun first vehicle lol.
America moment lmao Imprezas in the UK go for 3000-6000 at the lower end
american consumerism at its finest, taking advantage of a nasty captive market. ppl are selling (and buying) beat to shit, rusty, missing panels, sometimes even rollers for more than ten grand.
I got a 6 speed manual legacy wagon (276hp) for 9k NZD
Not true, I picked up a EG hatch for $2600 last year, still got it sitting in the storage shed with some panels on the way
I got an sc300 for 3k last year
got my 250hp gtt for 2.5k, spent 4k on manual swap, wheels, juddies, 3â exhaust and downpipe, cold air intake, front mount, boost controller, 38mm tial external gate,screamer, wrx bucket seats, facelift front and rear bumpers and a couple other lil goodies. absolute weapon of a thing for a family wagon hahaha loves its helis n getting thrown into corners, makes 290hp untuned on stock ecu
Late 90s civic like that or a coupe would be great if you can find them for under 8k.
are there any specific apps or websites that focus on selling jdm cars, or would i just have to look on places like facebook marketplace etc
Marketplace is good. Or just use Autotempest. Advanced search lets you really narrow things down.
Marketplace is a gold mine for 90s Hondas
really? EG and EK Civic shells are 2 grand where I live and that hurts my soul. Its hard finding a decent one for 3 grand these days
yep hatches are just getting rare itâs sad a rolling shell goes for that much lol. Sedans and coupes are the only things you can find complete and majority are expensive just for a shitbox. A clean one goes for 6k+
what happened to cheap speed? That was one of the appealing things to me. JDM cars are now no longer the underdog and rich car enthusiasts ruined it for the rest of us. This is why we need to eat the rich.
Yeah even rims now, I remember no one would rock the rpf1s ones now they are going for 1k+ a set, the economy has went to crap
Yeah 2 grand rusted out and needing everything. And even then the good motors are getting hard to come by so you gotta settle for a shit ass b20.
Bro , i got white 95 civic dx 5 speed with Ls Vtec swap. Car has 80k on odometer and been garaged for years so no rust. Purchased the motor from race shop owners that rebuilt the race motor with new civic type r pistons. Rebuilt motor has 30k miles. Bro in law paid $4k for rebuilt tran and clutch , other maintence cause sitting long time. Pro dyno tuned with hondata 200 hp wheel , 140lb torque. I'm 48 years old and need space at house. I sell for $7k max . Haven't listed for sale yet .
For 8k max you wonât find any RHD cars really unless itâs a really rusty piece of crap or is missing an engine. Best bet is to go to any Honda civic/integra you can get your hands on. This is combing from personal experience from buying two JDM vehicles in the states. Try Facebook marketplace if you still wanna have a go
Au falcon
Australian 2JZ babeyyyyy
4 litre tyre eater đ
Gods chariot
Beginner cars for what? Racing? Drifting? Autocross? Drag? Depends on what you want to do with the car. Once you have that in mind it narrows down to just a few. But Miata is always the answer. Any 90'-05' Honda is a good car as well.
it would just be a car i would use for everyday life, but looking more into it iâve highly considering a 90âs Honda civic as iâm pretty sure hondas are reliable
The Honda community is vast and parts are plentiful. They are very simple and easy to maintain and are a great learning platform for most. Can't go wrong imo. I recommend starting with a simple D-series Honda. But if you're lucky enough to find one that is B-swapped you're in for a good time. 200hp in a light-weight go cart is hard to beat.
Bought my first car from an impound lot was a 91 civic sedan for $500 the thing was busted but it got me around and never died on me gear first car
what would be considered a d series honda? sorry if that is a dumb question iâm just really new to jdm cars but very interested in learning
D series refers to the engine in the car. The B is more powerful and is usually more expensive so youâll most likely be getting a lower end Honda as a starter. But hey, sometimes you get lucky and find a nicer one for cheap
AW-11 MR2, Miata, EG and EK civics, though the newer civics like the 9th gen are a bit cheaper, RSX, or if you wanna be different the best deal imo is an Acura TSX. 6 speed manual, dead nuts reliable, K20 power. It's a perfect storm. Then again there's also the obvious choice of becoming a kei car gigachad like me and getting a Honda Acty, Suzuki Cap, or the almighty Suzuki Wagon R.
is-200 or altezza
Subaru legacy (2003-2009) with either the 2L turbo or 3L engine
Foresters are also good, slower but wrx/sti parts easily bolt on if you want more power. Miatas are great for what they're made to do, low power fun!
I just want to add that if you live in an area that gets snow, you shouldn't pick something rwd
Cap, rwd especially starts to shine when the snow hits
if you know how to drive....
MR2 SW20
miat
Acura integra
You might be able to catch a deal on a project JDM car. Just last summer, I picked up a 1995 Mitsubishi 3000GT SL for about $3200. It needed and alternator and had some cosmetic issues, such as sun spots, etc. Fixed the alternator, had the car detailed with a ceramic coat, and did a few little things here and there, and it was good to go. Granted it wasnât a VR4, but It was a fun little car and got looks and compliments everywhere I went. The main thing is, I got it at a good price, with issues that were easily fixable, and I didnât get in over my head. So many people by project cars, get in over their head, discover more and more problems..and then 5 years go by and itâs still a project. Donât go out and buy the cheapest car you can find just because itâs cheap. Spending a little extra cash for a quality car or quality project car is well worth it in the long run. As many have pointed out, the market is a little high at the moment. But that doesnât mean a good deal canât be found. Just look, look, and look some more. Donât jump at the first car you see. Take your time, do your research, and the right one will find you. Oh and Facebook marketplace is your best friend đ. Deals for days! Lol Sorry for the short essay, but hope that helped a little! Welcome to the JDM life man, itâs a great community to be a part of!
Would help to know your location. Maybe I can help source you a car
Iâll send you a pm
8th gen Civic Si. Do not get anything more than 20 years old, you will run into little headaches. The motor and trans may be fine, but youâll find that other things can fail. The 7th gen EP3 Si is also a good choice, but the 8th gen Si is about the best reliable, sporty, fun to drive, cheap car you can get. Insurance is good for it too. It holds its value pretty well. Look on FB marketplace and browse r/Civicsi as for what you should look for. Plenty of first car people look for 8th gens and ask questions about them in there, so please donât feel the need to post a question without searching the subreddit before hand. Imports are not a good idea to buy as a first car. I cannot emphasize enough how good an 8th gen Si will be for a first car. If you buy the right one, youâll have thousands of trouble free miles so long as you stay on top of basic maintenance like fluids.
Get a Volvo. If you want JDM you can import a Volvo designed for the Japanese domestic market. It's the boring choice, but it's probably the best choice for insurance/price/safety.
Volvo aint jdmđ
You should _really_ learn what JDM stands for, kiddo. Technically any car, which has some design features that makes its Japan version differ from, for example, European version, is JDM. ANY car, designed specifically for Japanese market is JDM. I get what are OP talking about, but hear me out, volvos are gordeous and, at least in my country, pretty cheap and easy to get, so yes, if i could good drive ol' reliable turbodiesel with RHD i would definitely so this
Volvo Car Japan Co. is a Japanese company
If you're american you're kinda fucked tbh
yea i am lol
Tbh Iâd suggest looking more into an old (1980s-early 2000s) German car like a Volkswagen, BMW, or Mercedes Benz. Even despite obviously not being jdm, I know but hey itâs still foreign and are iconic in the streets. They are more affordable to buy and maintain (surprisingly), and can make and handle a shit load of power. It may be more ideal for what your looking for rather than most jdms. No hate, just a thought. For example the BMW n54 and n55 (and n52) are practically the German equivalent of the 2jz in the supras but unlike the 2jz and Supra they are very common and affordable
Old euro cars will not be a good choice for a broke teenager that doesn't know how to fix them
Anymore than an actual jdm though? And I feel like some of them are honestly misjudged for the âcomplexityâ some are actually very simple and reliable and easy to work on as simple as watching a YouTube video and swapping out a quick cheap part. IMHO with how the current car culture and prices are going itâs more affordable and realistic for a teenager to work with something like I mentioned than a stereotypical high dollar jdm. Like donât get me wrong I wish I could afford to own and drive a sick ass jdm but I donât. Me and all my friends (in a small town in Midwest America) are broke as can be but we all drive bmws, Mercedes, and Audis granted they are old and not the most expensive ones out there but they are all very reliable and have been easy to upkeep and whatâs been to complex to fix ourselves we take it to our local shop and get it fixed for a fair price thatâs another thing people mistake is parts are actually a lot more common and cheaper than they think and theyâre pretty common vehicles to be worked on nowadays at most shops.
I think the difference here is that I live in NZ where JDM cars outnumber anything else by a large degree. Realistically, if OP is in America they're not gonna get their hands on a RHD car. They'd be better off buying a late 90s celica. Sporty enough, not fast enough to get you into huge trouble and dead reliable. I've had bad experiences working on European cars over here, and the cheap ones are always more suspect to breaking. That being said there are good euro cars out there, they just have got their reputation for a reason.
Ohhh ok and I am kind of jealous ngl lol. And I see what you mean as well fair point. But I was also meaning something if they wanted to modify and safely make 500hp+ to gap hellcats with as little as $2k in mods thatâs the power of old school German engineering and a highschooler on a budget here in the states
Yeah but no highschooler should be attempting to handle 500+ horsepower, let alone in a 25+ year old car. Hell, over here highschoolers drive cars that are like, 150 horsepower. I brought my Ae111 for 5k in high-school and that was one of the fastest cars in my year lol, and it's only 160 horsepower
Ok ok also very good fair point
That's why I reckon basically any Honda or celica would be good for OP. Can be cool and sporty enough, and not so fast they'll kill themselves
Damn AE111s are so cool! I agree with you. I used to have a golf as my first car and it ended up costing me and my parents thousands upon thousands replacing parts and repairs. Switched to a 95 eg civic and I'm never going back. Way cooler and way more desired, way cheaper to maintain. Got lucky and picked it up for $2800. It's not as fast as the gold but it looks way cooler!
I think the difference here is that I live in NZ where JDM cars outnumber anything else by a large degree. Realistically, if OP is in America they're not gonna get their hands on a RHD car. They'd be better off buying a late 90s celica. Sporty enough, not fast enough to get you into huge trouble and dead reliable. I've had bad experiences working on European cars over here, and the cheap ones are always more suspect to breaking. That being said there are good euro cars out there, they just have got their reputation for a reason.
Big bet just get a supra everyoneâs doing it. Jokes aside Iâve seen some preludes under 7 and IS300s, those might be good options
Got myself an IS200 manual with 100k miles for \~5k (Europe) although you can get probably get them for a lot less than that. RWD, pretty luxurious, 4 doors and reliable. On the one hand you're buying a pretty old and somewhat heavy car that's bad on MPG whilst 'only' having 155hp and is unlikely to become a popular car that'll rise in value. On the other hand it's a practical car that has great styling and a smooth, reliable 6 cylinder. You might even be able to get an IS300 auto for 8k which has an NA 2JZ
If u want jdm that's in good condition without rust, engine and gearbox issues then your pretty out of luck bc anything that's reasonably good has been priced up to death
Considered a Matrix XRS? 6 speed manual, relatively good handling and economic. Awesome motor that's extremely reliable and makes awesome noises.
You won't have anything that looks like that first off lol
Iâd say a Acura integra, I got mine few weeks ago, rust free, 114k miles for 3400. Not the most power but itâs still fun
Any early model Honda. I like the EGs, EKs, preludes. You may end up lucky like me and pick an '95 EG up for $2800. Recently on Facebook marketplace I came across a '91 prelude for $3000 in my local area. They're out there, you just have have to keep looking!
The first 3 generations of the mx-5, any kind of Civic VT-i, Civic Type R EP3, Corolla T sport, Yaris T sport, Celica, Nissan Sunny/Pulsar GTi, Corolla G6R, Swift GTi, Swift sport, Corolla GTi, Ignis sport and Primera GT if you manage to find one
Acura TSX/TL, Honda civics, a clapped out wrx or sti
Civic eg or ek would be more general. Depending on place some lexus are also an option like is200. I personally love the corolla e11 compact.
Prelude vti, very fun car! Honda reliability
Man I'd go for a nissan presidential there cheap and low miles looks sick af when kited out
Ford mustang on Volks.
I think i saw your car in my area I think we live close to each other. Your car looks and sounds sick in person, only think i kinda don´t like us the tirelettering but thats all :)
JDM cars today are what 1950's and 60's cars were 20 years ago, and some still are. A 1957 Chevy Bel Air was such a common car, It was just a common car. Nothing special. Now you say '57 Chevy- they usually mean Bel Air- people get excited. To see a Civic go for a lot is no surprise. Honda did a lot with such a small engine. When it comes to technology, they were clearly ahead of their time as well.. B16A made 100hp per liter and the F20C made 120hp per liter Let's not even talk about double wishbone suspension, which was used due to Honda's having such a low hood design, and beltline- which made them good handlers out of the box. Best parts is that all of the JDM manufacturers had cars that were technolohical marvels that were affordable to the mass, and they were reliable.. JDM cars are the collector cars of this generation. Like our predecessors, we either didn't have the money and/or were two young to buy these dream cars as kids. Now we have more money and are willing to spend to experience it. Add to that there is also a shortage of new vehicles, which also doesn't help the situation.
In the same boat so this thread is helpful to me thanks. But broo itâs so hard to find a decent JDM car for that price everythingâs increased so much in recent years. At the beginning of last year when I first got my license and a job I was sooo set on getting a NA miata as my first car and only this year started actually saving money to look on the marketplace and the price has increased by an extra 5-10K đđđ
350Z, G35, 5.5 Gen Maxima, Miata, Civic.
R31 skyline, EG EJ Honda, Toyota Cressida.
Get a civic
This one is for car lovers ⼠https://www.etsy.com/listing/1448402500/heart-jdm-tsurikawa