Good stuff! <3 that car.
#1
Dempsey Bowling
1991 Miata (V8 swap in progress... slowly)
1997 Wrangler SE
2010 Forte Koup EX
1996 Thunderbird LX
#3
Deathtrap, by Suzuki. I owned the 1989 Suzuki variety; also a deathtrap. But it was fun!
#4
that is quite quick for a 1.0 turbo. impressive!now...beware of copyright idiots.
#5
Good read, thanks.
#6
I always thought they were cool little cars, never drove one.An am/fm stereo radio was a $301 option LOL.
#8
1633lbs! Stunning these days. Too bad they have all long rusted/crumpled away to oblivion. I would definitely drive one!
#9
I had a buddy get a one owner, low mile, one of these in about 1992-3. A quick trip to the pet store yielded a few more smiles. He blew it up after a about 6 months.
#10
I am on the lookout for one now, be really hard to find any in decent condition.
#11
My auto service instructor daily drives one.It've gotten the opportunity to drive it
pretty cool car.
#12
Absolutely BAD AZZ car.I had an 88 NA variety and could easly get 45mpg. I always thought it handled pretty well.
Great little cars.
--I got 99 problems but a bitch aint one
#13
I had an opportunity to drive one about 10 years ago. It was a one owner old lady car actually and I remember being all giddy to drive it. I drove it and was extremely disappointed. It felt slower than even the later Geo Metro with it's N/A mil. The shifter was as sloppy as a spoon in a bowl of mash potatoes. It seem like there was a lot of squat and torque steer when you accelerated. Handling was tepid and unnerving. The accomodations and build quality probably the worst I've ever experienced. This car is the type that makes an enthusiast giddy but lets you down hard. I think finding one would be a huge waste of time un less you were going to do some serious mods.
-Ryan
#14
Whats with all the POS american car scans? How bout some real cars.
#15
Quote, originally posted by elbee » Whats with all the POS american car scans? How bout some real cars. Oh you're funny!
#16
look at the f'n curb weight.1,600lbs!!
70HP in a car that light isn't so bad!
#17
Quote, originally posted by SuperGroove » look at the f'n curb weight. 1,600lbs!!
70HP in a car that light isn't so bad!
Perhaps the one I drove was worn out but it could barely get out of it's own way. My 90 hp '86 Nissan truck feels quicker.
-Ryan
#18
Quote, originally posted by 1BADSUV » I am on the lookout for one now, be really hard to find any in decent condition. At least you're in a state where you could "possibly" find one. Here in the rust belt those things disappeared in 1988.
#19
I owned one of these around 2000. Some much fun to drive. It was actually pretty quick. Was rusted so bad that it wasn't worth saving. I also had a 1992 swift gt. Parts are impossible to find. Here is a 1987 corvettes times. Really not that much faster.Acceleration 240 hp, 4-speed manual
0-60 mph, second
6.3
0-100 mph, second
NA
1/4-mile, second @ mph
15.11 @ 93.8
#20
Good stuff.My dad bought a new naturally aspirated Sprint in 1986. Many years later, and after having owned many exotic cars, he still refers to the Sprint as his favorite car to drive.
#21
I love that this is the sporty model, and the wheels and tires are still 12x4.5"
#22
Quote, originally posted by GTI JOE » Here is a 1987 corvettes times. Really not that much faster. Acceleration 240 hp, 4-speed manual
0-60 mph, second
6.3
0-100 mph, second
NA
1/4-mile, second @ mph
15.11 @ 93.8
It was 1987. There weren't a whole lot of cars that could break the 7 second mark to begin with.
#23
Quote, originally posted by nickg » love the copyright infringement! You work for c/d or something? He's not reproducing for profit. It's also 21 years old. Shut up.
#24
Quote, originally posted by nickg » love the copyright infringement! How's he trying to make money off this?
Love the old road test scans. I go through my old C/D's for kicks all the time.
#25
Quote, originally posted by elbee » Whats with all the POS american car scans? How bout some real cars. It's called variety--look it up. Seriously, it'd be easy to just scan in the same old Miata/M3/etc articles over and over... but why?
Out of curiosity, did you even read the Polar Moments article?
Dempsey Bowling
1991 Miata (V8 swap in progress... slowly)
1997 Wrangler SE
2010 Forte Koup EX
1996 Thunderbird LX
#26
I have one. Bought it is 1992 for $2200. I have had offers topping over $3500 the last 5 years (5 different occasions...more often the latter years). There is no way someone could pry my dead white cold hands off this car.It is about 5 times more reliable, sadly, than my 92 VW GTI 16v. Not that that car is unreliable by any means, but this Sprint is TOUGH. A real work horse.
The car handles a combination of very neutral and nimbly, yet a little bit insecure on high speed wide open turns. I dont like taking it up the 5 through the Sisque. Steering offers plenty of feedback and is very quick.
I would need to floor the crap out of it to get below 30 mpg around town and I just completed a 700 mile trip from SJ Calif to Portland OR at 75 mph average and achieved a commendable 37 mpg. Best has been over 45 mpg at mostly 55 mph freeway driving.
There is torque steer, no doubt at all, but I LOVE the power! Prior post of the car not getting up to speed well...man, you should take a spin in my turbo Sprint. That car must have had a bad plug or was running on 2 cylinders or something. It moves every hair of my body with sheer authorit-TIE. This thing keeps up handily with my mildly modified 2 little 16v GTI and will rip it to shreds off the line to 40 mph.
Shifter...smooth, light and fairly precise. Not far off what Toyota cars in the 80's were like. Say, FX-16 level of quality.
If you can find one, and have wanted one... they are priced all over the map lately. I have seen nice ones for $4300 and a shocker of one that had under 100k and was only $2600. A poop one with dents all along it's side for $1200, and it didnt run. It has been a long time since I have seen a mint $1500 one. Maybe 3 years?
Recent increases in gas prices have significantly raised the price of nice and not so nice turbo Sprints. Have you seen the Metro Verts selling for $4000 lately? Crazy. I know.Luckily a complete head is $800, a new engine is about $1400, and tires are $20 each. You can restore a Sprint turbo to factory new for about 4 grand.
Dont get me wrong it feels a lot like a toy. Cannot take it too seriously and just drive it with a fat smile on your face while you kick a 5.0 liter Mustang convertible's butt with a 3 cylinder.
The plastic pieces in the interior (above doors and rear interior area) also have cracked and the dashes can do the same. The driver's seats usually have the entire bolster where the seat belt comes across falling to pieces.
I just located the fabric at a OR shop. I am looking for a place to add new foam and sew on the fabric. I love the Rain Bow Brite looking seats. Totally 80's.
The body panels are no VW. It doesnt give a nice "thunk" like my MK2 does. How many Japanese cars do? Let alone ones from the mid to late 80's? It is well screwed together though. Very good fit and finish, on par with my shortly owned 87 Civic. Much better steering than the Civic to! Man that car had the crappiest slowest steering, it felt like a much loftier car while being only minimally less featherweight. The rear seat of a Sprint can hold 2 real people to. Not the Civics of that generation.
Anyway, I think these cars are amazing. Can you tell?
I drove the Suzuki Swift by the way. New in 93. Those were cool and only 10 grand. I would buy one today if they made them. Handled better than my Sprint....but not nearly as fast...stock, at least.
#28
So it makes the same power as a smart car and weighs nearly the same but goes 0-60 more than 5 seconds quicker... what that tells me is that Mercedes Benz really should give the lil smart a real transmission. It also reminds me of just what a hoot that lil Sprint was.
#29
1989 Turbo Sprint FS at
http://www.teamswift.net/viewt...05799
#30
Here is what my sprint looks like on corner scales:Left Front - 522lbs
Right Front - 495lbs
Left Rear - 321lbs
Right Rear - 317lbsTotal - 1655lbs
Front % - 61.45
Rear % - 38.55
Left % - 50.94
Right % - 49.06Cross % - 49.31
Pics of my ongoing project:
Stock turbo next to a K03 (now on the car)
Engine
Modified by Ground Rat at 9:53 AM 11-1-2008
Modified by Ground Rat at 9:53 AM 11-1-2008
#31
I like those but I also like these in all white ,couldnt find a pic though
#32
Quote, originally posted by Ground Rat » Holy crap, I could curl that thing for a half decent workout. Any pics of a fully dressed engine under the hood?
#33
Ground Rat I love your car!Did you know they make a kit to drop the 638hp LS9 Covette motor in? Honest. Hey, anybody seen my crack pipe?
#34
lol, thanks
The engine is very light being so small and all aluminum. Here I am holding a spare motor in my kitchen.
And under the hood of my car (still a work in progress)
#35
Quote, originally posted by Ground Rat »
this makes the k03 look massive! and a k03 is tiny!
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