It became apparent to me that I could possibly have an affordable performance car after years of doing without one. I had a 1968 Olds 442 (360 hp), a 1985 Saab Turbo and a 1989 Ford Merkur Turbo (made in Germany). Most other cars were nothing special, though most had plenty of power as most were medium or large block V8’s.

My current car is a 2005 Buick LeSabre with the famous Buick 3.8 V6 that feels plenty more powerful than it appears on paper. Essentially that engine has been around in with different heads for about 30 years or more. They got rid of it after 2008. My heavy Buick can move well and can get 33 mpg on the way to Boston at 67 mph. Also one of the best front wheel drive cars for getting through snow because it’s heavy up front.

I realized that a stripped V8 Mustang or Camaro was about $32,000 and within the realm of financial possibility if I could get a decent trade in for the Buick. So I started planning how to save and took some test drives.