Japanese Project Cars under 5,000$ to Consider This Summer!

Japanese Project Cars under 5,000$ to Consider This Summer!

 

Are you looking for a project car to grease up those elbows and spice up your lower back for hours while your friends and family ask why you bought that old Japanese hunk of crap?
Do you aspire to be like the legends you know and love from the land of the rising sun but don't have 2 cents to rub together?

It's pretty hard nowadays to find a good car under 5,000$ that isn't your auntie's economy s**tbox, much less a fun project car with some tuning potential for more progress and fun down the line. However, there are some exceptions from our friends in the east. For example, here are three you might see yourself driving as your next project car this summer.

 

Third Gen Acura Integra (Baby Tuner)

A civic's cooler brother.
This quirky VTEC-powered sports coupe is a front-wheel-drive lightweight bite-sized project perfect for some cheap and easy modding given the popular platform. However, don't expect big performance from its small 1.8 L inline-four. If reliability is a must, this is an excellent car for you, as with most Hondas, it will probably outlive you and your children. Overall the Integra is a fun and rewarding car and makes for a great daily driver.

Mazda RX8 (ol' unreliable)

Get your bag of apex seals and bottle of premix ready; the show's about to start.
Numerous mechanical problems have doomed this weird 4 door coupe. Some blame owner's incompetence. Others blame its unique "Spinny Dorito." In any case, the RX8 is as unreliable as they come. However, you might find it challenging to get a better bang for your buck when they work. With a redline at 9000 thousand, you know you'll have fun.

 

Honda Prelude Fifth Gen (the outlier)

Another example of Honda's outstanding reliability  

The Prelude's style has well stood the test of time. They are somewhat hard to find and in good condition nowadays. A smooth-running engine in a simple and well-designed chassis spawned this melodic tuner. To note, make sure not to get the cranky unreliable automatic they threw in.

 

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