im thinkin a s14 240sx...the ka is a pretty reliable motor and can be upgraded itself down the road. also the potential for a SR/RB/whatever swap is there. the cars handle quite well, but only have two doors. i like the 4 drs, but thats just me. to me getting a cheap ass car and biulding the crap out of it almost destroys your ability to drive it daily and dependably. lets face it, we all would rather be driving them then working on em.