[speedfreak77]

Originally Posted by Kami

I am looking for my first used car that I can also use as a project car to learn more about engines.

I have been looking at a couple of older threads, and then searching the used market, but I can't really find any up-to-date threads that answer this question.

I have recently learnt to drive as I have just turned 18, and I want a car that I goes really fast and I can possibly attempt to repair myself so I get a better understanding of it.

Here are the cars that I have considered

1. Skoda Octavia VRS - none that are reasonably priced in decent condition, considering some that are not in great condition
2. Polo GTI - cannot find any on the used market
3. BMW 325i - seems to be expensive for what it's offering, spares too expensive
4. BMW 750li - maintenance/spares cost seems to be too high but it seems to offer around 400bhp, seems like a hard choice
5. Suzuki Kizashi - a little slow but seems great otherwise, considering getting it due to being a cheap car that I can open up and modify
6. Accord V6 - seriously considering this but seems a bit obscure, which year should I get?

Preferably, I would like to buy a car under 5 lakhs. 7 lakhs is my maximum budget.
Form factor and mileage don't matter that much, provided they aren't terrible and cripple the car.

Hopefully I can get some good suggestions, and this can serve as a resource to the people that are in the same boat as me.

Greetings!
Project cars are subjective so it really depends on your preferences. Being a big fanboy of vRS i would hands down tell you to buy one but the octavia as your first project car can cause a lot of havoc and a lot of big bills spent. As much as German cars are lovely to drive, they’re pretty hard to maintain and buying a pre-owned 10+ year old german car will mean you need to have deep pockets to keep her running.
As a first project car if you can get your hands on a Polo GT TSI then I would tell you to go for it hands down. One beautiful car with one of the best engines and gearbox combo I have driven. The punch from the 1.2L engine will make you smile and the little devil has a lot of mod and tuning potential. You will adore it. If possible engine swap it with a 1.8 GTi engine
But the most practical approach will be buying a Honda Civic or City. Both japanese siblings are very capable.
The greatest car is the Abarth Punto. You’ll love the car and as a project car you can do end number of engine mods to it. You can find a pre-owned 2014-15 car under 7.5 Lakhs.
Cheers!