Damn you, New England winters! (AE86 content)

http://boston.craigslist.org/nos/cto/3933592845.html

If this car has only 33k on the clock like the seller lists, then IMHO $3300 is a bargain for a survivor AE86 (even if it is just a SR5). Alas, I cannot buy it. Why? I need a winter car. I'm not scared of RWD in the snow. Give me a good set of winter tires and some junk in the trunk for ballast and I'm good to go. However, I am scared of the metric ass-tons of salt that get poured onto the roads every winter that eat away at cars. Too many a cool or nicely-running vehicle has met an early demise thanks to the scourge of sodium chloride that clogs the arteries of our roadways every winter. That's why my Mustang is three-seasons only, and that's why this CL post is giving me fits!

The wheels look unusually crappy for a 33,000 mile car but that's still pretty amazing. I'd bet that the car sells quickly, even at that price.

Not only did that thing survive road salt, Lynn Mass. is not far from the water either.

Appliance white AE85 + 33k miles + not dorifto'd out = automatic.

Feel better now? You're welcome.

In reply to ValuePack:

I'm sorry, did you say, "1UZ-FE swap candidate?" Because I could have sworn you wrote, "1UZ-FE swap candidate."

ValuePack wrote: Appliance white AE85 + 33k miles + not dorifto'd out = automatic. Feel better now? You're welcome.

Wow, I never even considered that this might have an automatic. That's how my mind works...

Woody wrote:

ValuePack wrote: Appliance white AE85 + 33k miles + not dorifto'd out = automatic. Feel better now? You're welcome.

Wow, I never even considered that this might have an automatic. That's how my mind works...

Unfortunately that's how my mind works as well. I once drove an hour one way to look at one of these never considering it could be an automatic so I didn't ask. It was an automatic.

I did something similar with an old bicycle recently. No photo in the ad. It turned out to be a girls bike. I never even thought to ask.

RexSeven wrote: http://boston.craigslist.org/nos/cto/3933592845.html I need a winter car. I'm not scared of RWD in the snow. Give me a good set of winter tires and some junk in the trunk for ballast and I'm good to go. However, I am scared of the metric ass-tons of salt that get poured onto the roads every winter that eat away at cars. Too many a cool or nicely-running vehicle has met an early demise thanks to the scourge of sodium chloride that clogs the arteries of our roadways every winter.

This same reasoning has kept me away from several 'older' cars I would like to DD. Damn salt....

In reply to Gearheadotaku:

"Damn salt.... "

That's why i paid a little extra $ for my 87 MR2. It had a few issues to fix, but it had been a FL car it's whole life until 6 months prior and almost no rust.

yep, buying from the south/west is worth the extra.

You guys would turn down a clean shell just because it had an automatic transmission slung under it?

Wow.

Wow this survived living in Lynn, MA?

Knurled wrote: You guys would turn down a clean shell just because it had an automatic transmission slung under it?

It's not cheap to make the AE86 into special, and at a $3,000 starting price you're looking at $5,000 before it had good suspension, good brakes, good engine, and all the other "good bits".

At least that's what I've determine from asking about numerous SR5 AE86s in the past.

Knurled wrote: You guys would turn down a clean shell just because it had an automatic transmission slung under it? Wow.

You do when you a. are poor, II. don't have a place to stick a car with no trans while you look for that last elusive swap part missed in the planning stage, or tres: aren't looking for a project. I'm all three.

AE85(not 86, in this case) with a stick sounds like a lovely but slow daily. AE85 with a three speed sounds like a lesson in patience.

PHeller wrote: It's not cheap to make the AE86 into special, and at a $3,000 starting price you're looking at $5,000 before it had good suspension, good brakes, good engine, and all the other "good bits".

So for $8k you have a clean AE86. Sounds reasonable to me...

redhookfern wrote: Wow this survived living in Lynn, MA?

I'd think it would have vanished from Earth by 1993.

A car like that shouldn't be put on beater duty at this point. It's only going to appreciate over the years.

Knurled wrote:

PHeller wrote: It's not cheap to make the AE86 into special, and at a $3,000 starting price you're looking at $5,000 before it had good suspension, good brakes, good engine, and all the other "good bits".

So for $8k you have a clean AE86. Sounds reasonable to me...

I have one for sale right now..... 1986 original GTS 127,000 miles, my wifes been using it as her daily for the past 2 years...

RWD + Blizzaks + Blizzard + Heavn'ly Coffee + Deserted 93 South = Commuting Nirvana.

Yea I'm kinda homesick.