QOTD: Help for Noobs?

We all had to start somewhere. Most of us have turned a wrench or three on a car, particularly one in which we’ve tried — with varying degrees of success — to make “better.”

I put that word in quotation marks because some of my well-intentioned wrenching sessions simply ended up making things a heckuva lot worse. Today’s question is simple: what (realistic) car would you recommend to a kid who wants to spend their time and money hopping up a vehicle?

Surely we can all agree the beautiful coupe at the top of this post is out of the cards, as any good examples have long since returned to the earth in the form of fine iron-oxide filings … at least in most parts of the country. Nevertheless, that Civic was easy to work on and owners had an abundance of aftermarket gear from which to choose.

What’s the modern equivalent? One could argue the modern Civic, as the big H never seems to go out of style with the tuner crowd. A present-day Golf wouldn’t be a bad choice either, given its measure of handling and decent availability of tuning choices.

These days, I’d recommend the FR-S/BRZ/86/whatevernameitistoday. Used examples abound, many of which have relatively low mileage thanks to a quick trade-in due to buyer’s remorse or spousal prodding or any number of reasons. Sales drones in most Toyota showrooms don’t seem to know how to sell a cool car anymore, content to sit on their heels and shovel people into beige Corollas. Both situations — new and used — are advantageous for people like us.

What would you recommend for a budding gearhead? It doesn’t need to be a new car; perhaps you think something about five years old would turn their crank. Sound off below, and be sure to tell us why.

[Image: Honda]