The Top 5 Cars to Build

Picking a car to be your first Project Car no matter the stage of life is a big one. Some cars are easier to mod than others, some car groups are cooler to hang with than others, and of course what your budget is to do a build. Whether you are paying cash money or financing, these are my opinions of the Top 5 Best First Cars to Build. Here are the rules. Car must be under $40K. Manual transmission preferred. Less than 60,000 miles. Turbo or NA, RWD or AWD but if it’s cool FWD is ok. Coupe is better than sedan. If any of these cars trigger you, feel free and comment why. Lets Jump In!

 

Kicking it off with Number 5… Almost everyone’s first Project Car has been a Honda Civic. The Honda Civic is a staple in this mod culture. Going back to the late 90’s the Honda Civic was the car that made this import car world. From the car show builds, to enthusiasts pushing the limits at the drag strip, to those pesky black EJ1 Civics Toretto was driving, the Civic was THE car to have. Up until recently, the Honda Civic was an NA engine and though you could find no shortage of built engines with aftermarket turbo kits, mods usually consisted of an intake and exhaust. But now the Honda Civic game is changed featuring a 1.5L turbo with a 6speed manual transmission. The 2022 and up Civic SI is the one to get with 200 horsepower stock. But what makes this such a great car to mod is the turbocharged engine. Throwing basic mods at the car like a catback exhaust from MA Performance or Remark, air intake and intercooler upgrade from PRL, and even a tune with the KTuner device can yield you massive gains near 50 horsepower. And the costs to do this is not crazy. The Civic SI also looks killer when lowered on a nice set of coilovers like BC Racing or springs such as Tein and paired with a good set of wheels. Wheels like Volk Racing or Advans are synonymous with the Honda Civic. But at a used price of around $30,000, if you dont want to blow your full budget on wheels, you might want to check out some good fitments from Konig, Kansei, or even Enkei. At the end of the day a $40K budget will have you sitting nicely in one of the best sport compact cars ever to be made.

 

At Number 4 we have what would be the domestic brother of the previous car and that is the Ford Mustang GT. Tell me you didnt know someone in high school or college that use to mob a Mustang around hard like a dude in a Gallardo entering Cars and Coffee… The S550 Mustang GT was the 6th generation Mustang between 2015-2023. Coming with a 5.0L V8 Coyote engine, it was available with 435hp and later models 460hp. Now if we can get past the online stigma of Mustang owners, this really is a great first platform for new Project Car owners. An early model with around 50,000 miles might run you $30K. Available in a manual transmission, the rear wheel drive car is a blast to drive. Unlike earlier years, these new Mustang GT cars featured independent rear suspension. Modding the car not only brings out the incredible sound of the V8, but bolt-on big power is easy. It might take you outside a total $40K budget, but bolting on a supercharger kit from the likes of Magnuson, Whipple, or ProCharger will send you past the 700HP mark. But if you want to crawl before you walk, the basics such as a cold air intake from Corsa, throttle body from BBK, and some headers from the likes of Kooks or Stainless Works really do the trick. But don’t forget that amazing V8 sound comes from a good Catback exhaust like AWE offers. Getting 500 horsepower in combination with a good HP Tuners ecu tune is simple. Lets be honest though, a lowered S550 on some great coilovers from companies like BC Racing, Fortune Auto, or Godspeed really looks good! There is no shortage of wheel fitments to run on the Mustang GT whether it be a set of 19 inch or 20 inch or if you want to go balls out and do a dragpack. Wheels are really affordable and drastically change the look with setups from Forgestar, Ferrada, or even their RTR line. You might grumble and say why the fuck did you pick a mustang, but lowkey… you considered it too!

 

Number 3 is going to give you a good combo of luxury and performance. One of the most popular and powerful engine platforms to build has been the B58 found in the BMW 340/440i. This turbocharged, straight 6 cylinder engine came with 322 horsepower and 330 lb/ft of torque. Available as an F30 LCI model from 2015-2019, it superceed the popular N55 335I platform. The BMW obviously has many perks but with potential issues. First off is the technology of the car. The interior is really the only thing to be concerned about when looking for these vehicles used. The amount of stuff that could go wrong with the idrive system and electronics could send you on a goose chase. But a good condition 340i will make you feel like you are rolling high with its sporty seats and BMW badge. You might be able to find this vehicle in a manual transmission, most are the 8 speed dual clutch. But what makes this car so desired for around $25K is the B58 platform. A basic stage 1 ECU tune will gain you near 100 wheel horsepower on race gas and plenty of power on regular pump gas. For simplicity adding a plug and play tuner from JB4 or VR Tuned will get you nearly 100 horsepower and allow you to run basic bolt on parts for even more performance. Common upgrades to these cars include running a short ram intake to help feed more air to the turbocharger. Chargepipes which help flow more air between the intercooler and the throttlebody, an intercooler for those doing a Stage 2 and above, full catback exhaust system as the factory is very restrictive, and for those really getting crazy, an e85 conversion. The B58 has endless possibilities with some of these fully built vehicles having upwards of 1000 horsepower! You can definitely build a corporate slave sleeper or outfit the car with some suspension to sit lower and handle better such as coilovers by KW or ST Suspensions or springs by H&R. Of course wheels are a huge hit with making these 3 series stand out. To stay in our budget and not blow it with a set of BBS Wheels, other options out there include Avant Garde, Vorsteiner, Titan7, HRE FlowForm. This is number 3 but really could be the number 1 pick!

 

Number 2 – If the Honda Civic was the most popular first car for everyone in the 90s and 2000s, than its historical cousin is definitely the Volkswagen Golf. Much like the Civic, the Golf has a long history of being an incredible car to modify, track, and show off. I mean BBS wheels made some of their first wheels for the Golf! But many many years later we have been given a variant from Volkswagen that rivals cars like the Subaru STI, the Civic Type R, the GR corolla, and that is the Golf R! From 2014 to 2017 the Golf R was produced coming with 292 horsepower paired with a 6speed manual transmission or a DSG Dual Clutch. It is also one of the only cars so far in our video that is all wheel drive. As its know in Europe as a “Hot Hatch”, the iconic Golf brand has a massive tuner following. With legendary parts manufactures such as Neuspeed and APR Tuned producing everything under the sun to mod these vehicles, the Volkswagen platform is a hotbed for tuners. Finding a MK7 Golf R in decent condition will cost you about $25K and with how much is available out there to mod these, that $15K to the $40K target price puts a lot on the table. Getting more power out of the 2.0L turbocharged engine is childs play for these tuners. A standard Stage 1 tune can yield nearly 100 horsepower when on E85 and a very safe 50 horsepower on standard pump fuel. But start adding in some of the normal upgrades such as an air intake from APR or CTS Turbo and expect to hear that turbo make some incredible sounds under acceleration. Like any air to air turbocharged vehicle, upgrading the intercooler system with high flow charge pipes to feed the compressor inlet and throttle body allows the turbo to perform at maximum efficiency. Of course a bigger intercooler from the likes of Wagner Tuning or Mishimoto really help overall performance. But non of the power can be reached without getting that exhaust gas out with a new catback exhaust system. Not to mention these cars sound extremely dumb with their restricted exhausts. There are so many great exhausts that really open the 2.0T into racecar mode. A full valvetronic exhaust from Armytrix will let you rip the streets in loud mode while you sneak through the neighborhood in quiet mode at the press of a button. But lets not forget how the Golf had its identity born with wheels. The wheel game is crazy for the Volkswagen world. Everything from 3pc deep lips to 1pc retro designs is available. Fifteen52 has taken the world of WRC rally to a street style that has become popular and affordable. Where full fledge custom BC Racing or ESR wheels can really bring peoples jaws to the floor. The Golf R is a great car to begin your Project vehicle journey with.

 

But now its time for the Number 1 Project Car to get should you choose to jump into this crazy, addicting world of modifying your vehicle… And it is… The Subaru WRX STI! In my heart of hearts this is the car that revolutionized the import industry from just Civic owners to a world of rally, drag, and road racing. The STI arrived in the USA in 2004 being much anticipated after the release of the WRX. With other countries having the STI variant for years previous, this was the car to own once available. For nostaglia, I would personally go with a 2007 STI having owned one of these brand new. But in this case, I am going with the VA body style. With its factory big brakes, all wheel drive, and stock 305 horsepower from the 2.0L turbo EJ257, this car is some of the most fun you will have shifting the 6speed manual transmission. Finding these used is not hard around $20-$25K. But you want to find one that has not been overly molested. Bred for rally and accels on the road course, these are easy to make power and handle better. Get a better stance out of the car by lowering it with some Fortune Auto or Tein Coilovers. These cars are known to push so its a good idea to put on a stiffer rear sway bar with beefier end links to enhance oversteer. And if you want to keep that chassis flat, add a set of Cusco front and rear strut braces. Wheels are everything on this car. The most common is a marriage with a set of Volk Racing wheels. But again, whats your budget. If TE37s are to much, check out the JDM sister GramLights. Of course with the huge success of Ken Block Gymkhana videos, a set of Fifteen52 or Rotiform wheels will do the trick. But when it comes to power, you can take 2 paths. The first path will most likely lead you to rebuilding the engine. Becareful Chat, these engines are capable to make some serious power, but require some expensive internal upgrades. Go with the basics. Get that crazy boxer engine sound with a solid catback exhaust system from Invidia. Thrown on a good cold air intake and silicone turbo inlet pipe from the likes of Perrin Performance. Upgrade that intercooler to a larger Top Mount or an front mount. But dont forget to do the tuning. Safe reliable tuning is the key. The staple in this game is from Cobb Tuning. Their OTS maps will get you the power you need. If you find some extra dollars sitting around, check out some crazy carbon fiber upgrades from Seibon or go full crazy with Varis, Zerosports, or Chargespeed. 

 

If you stuck through this list, than you are serious in what your first or next project car should be. Any of these vehicles can make for a great experience into the car culture. Find a good vehicle and make it your own. Need those parts to start modding, of course hit up the Vivid Racing store here. If you think any of these are wrong or you have a better idea, help the world learn and comment what you would build below.