Honestly you could get away with a lot for 10K. You could buy an EG hatch with a buttload of miles on it for cheap, or even find one with a blown motor......then buy a DOHC B series motor and toss that in there. You could even get this all done by a shop and still have some $ left over when theyre done.

 

Check out www.modifiedcartrader.com.They have alot of already modified cars for around 10,000.

 

QFT! That would be the wisest choice, if you want a project/daily driver. Just about any pre-'00 civic can be had for less than that. Here's a list of cars that came to my mind as well:

-Toyota MR2 (great looking 2 -seater and is very easy to mod, especially if you get turbo)
-Nissan 300zx (tough to work on, but takes mods well, like most turbo cars)
-Any gen Acura Integra (one of the best handling FWD cars - need I say more?)
-Mazda Miata (these kill a lot of cars on the track. it's probably the best balanced car on my list and is cheap to mod)
-98- BMW 328i, 325i, 318i and ti (they all cost well under $10k). I've seen pretty low mileage 328 go for $8k or less, $6k or less for 325. Good DD with a lot of modding potential and is fun on weekend drives.
-'97 BMW 528i (if you want some space, but God forbid from getting an auto BMW, because it will definately break your wallet and bank account)
-'95- BMW 540i, 530i, 525i, 535i - my 2nd favorite body style (see sig)
-Any pre-90 BMW (mid 80 to '90 3-series is like a go-kart
-AE86 GTS with 4AGZE swap (I have a soft spot for these cars)

Personally, for my next car, I've narrowed it down to S14, 300ZX and '95 MR2-T

 

WOW, cars on that site are very overpriced. A supercharged 318ti for $12k? I dont think so

 

just buy a used civic. you can get a good one for about 5-6 grand