You said you wanted long lasting parts, he said the CVT, and I agree 😉
What makes you want to choose a saturn vue as a project car? It’s obvious you’re going to be sinking money into it so why not getting something with larger aftermarket support. A cheap example would be an old focus like what I own. There is almost as much aftermarket for a focus as for a mustang, anything I want to do, race headers, race exhausts, stealth exhausts, clutch kits, thousands of great suspension options from low riders, extreme handling packages, lift kits, body kits, race heads, great cam options, heavy duty motor mounts. ect. Since ford made an SVT version of the focus they really got the ball rolling as far as great aftermarket support is concerned…
Now, I probably wouldn’t use my focus as a project car, not because I don’t like it but because if I’m going to sink thousands into something, I want a car that will gain value for the money I put into it… A focus wouldn’t really gain money because no one considers a focus a sports car or a luxury car because it is an economy class car that just so happens to have a peppy engine and handle allot better than most…
Perhaps I am missing what you mean by calling it your “project car”…