beater wanted
- Thread starter jred321
- Start date
a bit. we were going to check out a 1995 prizm yesterday but it was sold before we got there. there's some other stuff out there but it's always a gamble so if someone knew a car that was relatively well maintained it'd be better than going with a total stranger. what i'd really like her to get is this http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1178218 but i don't know that she'd want to put in the effort to maintain it
RammsteiNick
Member
jred321 said:
Well, if you want under $2k I am selling my old 1988 Ford Bronco II as a beater, v6 engine, and actually only has 35k original miles, because the previous owner used it as an estate vehicle, and I only used it to get back from HS back in the day.
I replaced the entire ehaust system, brake lines, new wheels, tires and breaks, clean oil, it is 5-speed manual w/ overdrive, and 4-wheel drive which is helpful this season. Small aftermarket parts, such as fog lights and grille guard, and one of those police mounted spot lights....
some outter body work was done by yours truly so there are some pretty bondo spots on the sides... interior is really good considering the year.
I live in CT (this car is stored in the torrington area)
Here are some pics if you are interested:
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1320553394067833092wwjJIE
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1320553250067833092cDnAxA
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/1320553460067833092lhwqJP
RammsteiNick
Member
jred321 said:
yea, i hear ya... i think it gets like 20 mpg highway (going downhill with a nice wind)
If get to buy the 03.5 MSP i am looking at I will also be selling my 2000 Taurus.
If you are interested in that i will PM you if/when i buy the other car
want? yes. able to afford? no. she got her corolla for $1000 2.5 years ago with 150k on it and only put $500 of work into it. it's now just shy of 200k (so i guess less than 25k/year) and if she had changed the oil more than twice, not driven with the oil cap off for a day, paid attention when i told her for months it smelled like oil (the oil filter was backing itself off so it was leaking onto the downpipe and burning), and generally taken care of it it would be fine. so she wants something like that again. she'd love something newer and more reliable but just quit her job to go back to school so that's not really an option. the prizm on craigslist with 71k on it for $1700 would have been perfect but it was sold before we could go check it outaltspace said:
$1000 car + $500 repairs = $1500. Over 2.5 years that is $600/yr + regular maintenence. Reliable or not she got a great deal on that Corolla. But it is a toyota. I would not expect the same return on a Mazda or Subaru of the same price.
Even if I had no problems and drove my Protege5 for 10 years (2003-2013) it would still average me $1800/yr give or take since there would be maintenence. I paid $17167 + tax, title, and 100K warranty w/ 0% financing in 2003.
So what I'm saying is. If you can get at least a year out of $1000 beater or two years out of a $2000 beater you have hit the jackpot. Usually with $1000 cars you can take it for a test drive and talk with the owner to determine if it will last a year. For a $2000 beater, it is harder to look that far into the future 2 years from now. Obviously you need to check the brakes, tires, exhaust, and other things that will nickel-and-dime you to death.
Even if I had no problems and drove my Protege5 for 10 years (2003-2013) it would still average me $1800/yr give or take since there would be maintenence. I paid $17167 + tax, title, and 100K warranty w/ 0% financing in 2003.
So what I'm saying is. If you can get at least a year out of $1000 beater or two years out of a $2000 beater you have hit the jackpot. Usually with $1000 cars you can take it for a test drive and talk with the owner to determine if it will last a year. For a $2000 beater, it is harder to look that far into the future 2 years from now. Obviously you need to check the brakes, tires, exhaust, and other things that will nickel-and-dime you to death.
her "regular maintenance" was pretty much just gas + the occassional adding of oil, so yes, she did get a great deal and i told her if she got another like that she'd be lucky. on the other hand, i'd rather get her into a fun car that she would enjoy instead of just an A to B so when she can afford a nicer car she actually wants a fun car. this is where the older mazda (mx6, probe gt, 626, etc...), subaru or (gasp) a dsm (though i would have to be prepared to drive her around when it breaks) would come in. and any normal things that could go wrong, short of anything inside of the block or transmission, either myself or my brother could take care of.chuyler1 said:
good point. 2 years on a car like this is pretty much impossible to predict. nice if it happens, hard to tell if it's possiblechuyler1 said:
she's driving around in a 1989ish k car now that doesn't go above 70, so anything is a step up
