# Looking for the fastest cars for under 12k **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [July 8, 2022, 7:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/looking-for-the-fastest-cars-for-under-12k/185134 "2022-07-08T19:59:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Taylanbagwellenzo\_181449](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Taylanbagwellenzo\_181449](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Taylanbagwellenzo_181449)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2022, 7:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/looking-for-the-fastest-cars-for-under-12k/185134/1 "2022-07-08T19:59:57Z")
Looking for the fastest car for under around 12k and I am having no luck finding anything. Thanks any ideas help. ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2022, 8:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/looking-for-the-fastest-cars-for-under-12k/185134/2 "2022-07-08T20:06:03Z")
By beet ( beat ) since you did not say how such as top speed or 0 to 60 Google is your friend . You can look up stats on the charger than search for something better . Of course 12000.00 USD will not get your much of a vehicle these days . ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2022, 8:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/looking-for-the-fastest-cars-for-under-12k/185134/3 "2022-07-08T20:09:33Z")
That’s a pretty tough task. What do you mean by “beat”? In a short race from a dead stop? Or as fast as the car will go? What 0-60 time you are looking for? ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2022, 8:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/looking-for-the-fastest-cars-for-under-12k/185134/4 "2022-07-08T20:12:59Z")
Get the newest Mustang GT you can afford, that’s in decent shape. ---
**Author:** ![Barkydog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/barkydog/32/2470_2.png) [@Barkydog](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Barkydog)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2022, 8:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/looking-for-the-fastest-cars-for-under-12k/185134/5 "2022-07-08T20:42:19Z")
1997 talon might fill the bill, he car has 229 N.m of torque and a top speed of 218 km/h. The 1997 Eagle Talon TSi AWD accelerates from zero to 60 mph in 7.6 seconds and hits quarter mile at 15.3 seconds ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2022, 8:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/looking-for-the-fastest-cars-for-under-12k/185134/6 "2022-07-08T20:51:10Z")
Buy a $10,000 Toyota Corolla and a $800 nitrous oxide injection system. Maybe 100 hp shot. Maybe 150 hp shot. Leaves you $1200 for NOX refills. No one will ever see it coming… ---
**Author:** ![Scrapyard-John](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@Scrapyard-John](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Scrapyard-John)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2022, 8:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/looking-for-the-fastest-cars-for-under-12k/185134/7 "2022-07-08T20:54:45Z")
> [@Mustangman](#): > > No one will ever see it coming… They might see you leaving…on a rollback..with parts scattered. ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2022, 8:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/looking-for-the-fastest-cars-for-under-12k/185134/8 "2022-07-08T20:56:58Z")
The original post said they wanted something faster than a 2009 Charger SRT8 which in good condition is supposed to do 0 to 60 in 5.4 seconds . Now they just want a fast vehicle for under 12000.00 . Simple , find a listing of something that appeals to you . Use your search engine to find performance specs . Then decide if that will meet your wants . ---
**Author:** ![ledhed75](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f6c823/32.png) [@ledhed75](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ledhed75)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2022, 9:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/looking-for-the-fastest-cars-for-under-12k/185134/9 "2022-07-08T21:01:12Z")
Somehow I suspect an under $12K “anything” isn’t going to be terrible “fast”… Or at least not reliably “fast” for more than a run or two… “Fast” and “on a budget” don’t always play well together. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2022, 9:04pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/looking-for-the-fastest-cars-for-under-12k/185134/10 "2022-07-08T21:04:48Z")
Fast and Budget never play well together. And to @Scrapyard-John … the OP didn’t say how LONG they wanted it to be fast! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2022, 9:12pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/looking-for-the-fastest-cars-for-under-12k/185134/11 "2022-07-08T21:12:32Z")
Haven’t looked for one myself, but are there any pre-emissions era classics available at that price? Big American steel v8’s? In $12K range, seems like it would have to be a car that at the minimum needs a lot of cosmetic work. > [@Scrapyard-John](#): > > They might see you leaving…on a rollback…with parts scattered. lol … reminds me of the recent _Hot Rod_ magazine all-electric test car build they did. Engine worked so well that rear axle bits and pieces strewn everywhere. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2022, 9:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/looking-for-the-fastest-cars-for-under-12k/185134/12 "2022-07-08T21:17:06Z")
Plenty of 2000-2010 Mustang GT (all have a V8) in that price range. Forget a '60s musclecar, junkers at that price. ---
**Author:** ![TheWonderful90s](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/thewonderful90s/32/29584_2.png) [@TheWonderful90s](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TheWonderful90s)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2022, 9:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/looking-for-the-fastest-cars-for-under-12k/185134/13 "2022-07-08T21:17:12Z")
> [@Mustangman](#): > > Buy a $10,000 Toyota Corolla and a $800 nitrous oxide injection system. Don’t Hondas have a better reputation for doing this successfully? Something about a forged crank and being over built. There’s a 1992 Corvette on Dallas Craigslist for $7000. They say it hesitates at lower RPM. Probably a simple fix like MAF or oxygen sensor. I wonder if that could be caused by a previous owner having the engine tuned for high RPM for racing? ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2022, 9:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/looking-for-the-fastest-cars-for-under-12k/185134/14 "2022-07-08T21:19:34Z")
> [@texases](#): > > Plenty of 2000-2006 Mustang GT (all have a V8) in that price range. Seems a better choice for the OP than dealing with the vicissitudes of 50+ year old classics. ---
**Author:** ![old\_mopar\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/6bbea6/32.png) [@old\_mopar\_guy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/old_mopar_guy)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2022, 9:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/looking-for-the-fastest-cars-for-under-12k/185134/15 "2022-07-08T21:23:10Z")
Just buy an old Chevy Chevette and push it off a cliff. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2022, 9:31pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/looking-for-the-fastest-cars-for-under-12k/185134/16 "2022-07-08T21:31:48Z")
> [@TheWonderful90s](#): > > There’s a 1992 Corvette on Dallas Craigslist for $7000 As much as I like C4 Corvettes… 30 years is getting to be too long for all the capacitors in the electronics in these cars… This isn’t likely a “simple” fix, especially with a first year LT-1. And it isn’t caused by being “tuned” for high RPM. ---
**Author:** ![TheWonderful90s](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/thewonderful90s/32/29584_2.png) [@TheWonderful90s](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TheWonderful90s)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2022, 9:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/looking-for-the-fastest-cars-for-under-12k/185134/17 "2022-07-08T21:37:27Z")
I’ll replace all the capacitors for a $150 if somebody sends the computer in to me! ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2022, 9:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/looking-for-the-fastest-cars-for-under-12k/185134/18 "2022-07-08T21:40:48Z")
> [@TheWonderful90s](#): > > I’ll replace all the capacitors for a $150 if somebody sends the computer in to me! You clearly don’t understand the task! 6 layer fully conformal coated PCBs in the instrument panel alone. I think the ECU is 4 layer but also conformal coated. All surface mount caps. ---
**Author:** ![TheWonderful90s](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/thewonderful90s/32/29584_2.png) [@TheWonderful90s](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TheWonderful90s)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2022, 9:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/looking-for-the-fastest-cars-for-under-12k/185134/19 "2022-07-08T21:43:55Z")
I forgot about the automotive conformal coating. But surface mount should actually be easier. With bottom heat and hot air on top, they just lift off and some of the surrounding conformal coating should pull off with it. ---
**Author:** ![Scrapyard-John](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@Scrapyard-John](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Scrapyard-John)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2022, 10:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/looking-for-the-fastest-cars-for-under-12k/185134/20 "2022-07-08T22:02:16Z")
> [@texases](#): > > Plenty of 2000-2010 Mustang GT (all have a V8) in that price range. I like this idea. Probably need some sort of forced induction to beat the Charger. Cheap EBay turbo, custom tune, and hope it lasts. Or a shot of nitrous as mentioned…and it probably won’t last, but…at least you beat the Charger! [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/looking-for-the-fastest-cars-for-under-12k/185134.md?page=2)