Re: what would you buy?
Unless you have deep pockets for the impending transmission failure from excessive AWD clutch dumps, I would stay away from a TT Stealth. God know what else is super pricey to fix on those.
My money, for a high schooler who wants something cheap, fun and fairly reliable, grab a late ?80s-early ?90s turbo Dodge/Plymouth. Any T2 engine (turbo engines with a factory intercooler) has a stout bottom end (steel crank/rods, forged pistons) and a relatively cheap to maintain SOHC head. Exhaust flange is a standard T3 so turbo swaps are a piece of cake. They're cheaper/more reliable than a DSM, not that that says much.
As mentioned above, a 91-92 Spirit R/T rocks in the bang for the buck category. They can be had for a couple thousand bucks, have the same T2 bottom end (will hold 400+whp reliably in stock form), a Getrag 5-speed transmission (stock will hold 500+whp reliably) and a Lotus 16-valve aluminum head (TIII turbo engine). In proper tune, Spirit R/T?s run mid-14?s in the mid 90 mph range right out of the box.
I picked up a high mileage one for $1300 and had an absolute blast with it. A T3/T4 turbo pushed trap speeds to 110mph on a tired 180,000 mile motor. The biggest shortcoming of the TIII is its tendency to shred timing belts if not properly tensioned. Luckily, it?s a noninterference motor so no valve job is necessary.
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