Here I am again giving out the top 10 lists of vehicles you should consider for purchases should you want to look for a coupe right under RM30,000. I hope my previous write ups has been informative and hope that this would give new direction and inspiration to everyone else.
No. 10 Proton Putra
This is no doubt one of the choices that comes to mind, because this was basically a rebadged Mitsubishi Mirage Asti coupe. The choices that are available in Malaysia is considered to be superior as it packs a Mitsubishi 4G93 DOHC engine, capable of putting out 140hp when new. This is also one a good candidate to put on a turbocharged 4G93 or 4G63 engine, to push the car to its limit. Great pocket rocket, but there's always a threat of being stolen. It is important to have your car secured properly, should you want to buy this car. Examples like this can be found around RM20,000 to RM30,000
No. 9 Ford Laser TX3
The Ford Laser TX3 is a nice looking coupe. Basically it shares common mechanical parts on the Mazda 323 as well. Most people who buys up these cars, would consider dropping in a turbocharged B6 or B8 engine, that will give the car a proper boost in speed. These cars can be had for around RM10,000 to RM20,000 depending on the condition.
No. 8 Hyundai Coupe
The Hyundai Coupe has very beautiful lines as a coupe and was made to mimic the previous generations of the Jaguar XK. However, depreciations were not too kind for Korean cars and parts would be on tough side of finding them. These cars are great candidates for turbo-charged Mitsubishi engines as Hyundai were licensed to use Mitsubishi engines in the past.
No. 7 Toyota Corolla TE/Trueno
The Toyota Corolla coupe, coming from the earlier E20 coupe to the newest AE111 coupe are all very desirable cars. These cars form a great platform for a 4AGE transplant. Some of these cars can be found at around RM30,000 and below. If you are lucky, you might bump into an AE86 Trueno very close around RM30,000. That being said, prices are still appreciating and the Trueno might not be priced the same tomorrow.
No. 6 Nissan Bluebird 910
So yes, you love to drift and you want a rear wheel driven coupe? There's a boxy alternative and it's known as the Nissan Bluebird 910 Coupe. Car's like these are great candidate to put in CA18, SR20 or RB cuts in the car. This car's looks is very subjective. Some might like it because it is boxy and has a VIP feel to it, why others might see boxy being ugly and very 80's. Looks are subjective, but the ultimate decision to choose the car is yours.
No. 5 Honda Civic Coupe
The Honda Civic Coupe, is a nice car to purchase. Although it is rare, some examples can be found below RM30,000 now. Most of them would come with the stock D15 engine and they provide a great platform to transplant the engine into something more powerful, like a B16 or B18 engine, that would give it a very good punch to the power of the car. Something to look at, after all these were the cars, painted in black, were used by Dominic Toretto in the first The Fast and The Furious movie, in the truck highjacking missions.
The Fast and the Furious [trailer] (2001) - YouTube
No. 4 Fiat Coupe
Fiat Coupe's are great choices to play with, if you have the passion for a bella. Despite being front wheel drives, these cars were the Golf GTi's of it's days. The Turbo , the 2.0 litre 20 valve engine is able to displace 220hp, sprint from 0-100 km/h in 6.5 seconds and a top speed of 250 km/h. It is rumored that Michael Schumacher owns one of these, so these are great cars to consider, as long as your pockets are deep enough to feed the bella. Jeremy Clarkson has chosen this car in the Budget Police Car Challenge in Top Gear.
Police Car challenge part 1 - Top Gear - BBC Autos - YouTube
Police Car challenge part 2 - Top Gear - BBC Autos - YouTube
No. 3 Toyota Celica
The Toyota Celica, up from the Toyota Celica TA to the 5th generation T180 Toyota Celica are cheap affordable coupes you could buy. The choice is either a rear wheel driven TA Celica or a front wheel driven T180 Toyota Celica, and the choice of engines are endless. The older TA has looks of a muscular Dodge Challenger while the newer ones have rounder very 90's shape. The choice is yours with both choices ranging from RM20,000 to RM30,000. Great candidates for either a SR20DET swap for the TA or a 3S-GTE swap in the T180. However, the newer T180 Celica are much rarer, expensive and exchange hands much lesser.
No. 2 Mazda RX-7
The Mazda RX-7, coming from the FB to the FC, are great cars to consider, should you want a great pocket rocket. The RX-7 FB is very common and can be had for below RM20,000. The aging 12 A engine can be either restored or swapped for the 13 B engine from the newer RX-7. The FC is a good car, where once Jeremy Clarkson has praised it to be as good as the Porsche 924 in it's days and costs a bit lesser. The RX-7 is also a known car from the Initial D series. A great way to own a sporty legend. There is one RX-7 FC as of writing that is close to the RM30,000 budget.
Mazda RX-7 FC3S - Cars for sale Selangor - Mudah.my
Maybe you could approach the guy and knock down a further RM2,000 from the car.
Initial D videos
Initial D FC Battle Part 1 of 4 - YouTube
Initial D FC Battle Part 2 of 4 - YouTube
Initial D FC Battle Part 3 of 4 - YouTube
Initial D FC Battle Part 4 of 4 - YouTube
No. 1 Honda Integra
The Honda Integra, from the DA to the DC series are very good choices to consider for purchases. One of the reasons is that, these cars came with the B engines and could easily be transplanted to other stronger B16 or B18 engines. I always have loved the Integra. Owning one for a year while in Australia made me realise this was the car I could keep for life. It is practical and fun to drive. The high revving nature of Honda engines makes you glued to the car, feeling you are driving an F1 car. A very good car to consider, considering DA's can cost below RM20,000 and some DC's can be had for RM30,000 nowadays. Honda Integra DC2 was also featured in Smiley Sakai's race against the RX-7 in the special stage Initial D videos.
Initial D Battle Stage 2 FD3S vs DC2 - YouTube
I hope this guide serves well as something to ponder at, when you want to buy a budget coupe. A lot of people here might not own an Audi TT or a BMW 3 series coupe, but with these alternatives, you can clearly stand out in the crowd from the rest.
More cars to check around, I suggest the awesome coupe below
Toyota Mark 2 Coupe on Marketplace
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