Most reliable Mommy-mobile ~$1k

Yep. I know the conventional wisdom is "Just buy the best car in that price range," but really, may I have some non-fanboi suggestions for mommy-suitable cars that came with bullet-proof engine/trans. combos for around $1k?

I'm partial to acura B-series motors (assuming they're mated w/a manual trans,) as I've seen stock internals stand up to a fair amount of abuse/neglect. Early D series (84-87) are pretty rock-solid in my experience to, but if the SHTF, parts, especially complete motors, are getting harder and harder to find.

Car is for a friend whose Nissan Stanza is turning into a leaking, burning money pit. Doesn't need to win any beauty contests. 5-speed is acceptable. Does not need 4-doors. DOES need 4 seats. Obviously, safety is a plus. Go.

My '94 Protege DX (1.8 SOHC 16V, 5-spd) got well over 30MPG on every tank and was very low maintenance. Cheap to buy, too. I paid $120 for mine and dropped in a 150k junkyard engine. Great car. Shouldn't have sold it.

You can find them for around $1k since 'regular people' don't really seem to care about them anymore.

I sold mine with troves of replaced parts and some OEM spares for $1500.

Bulletproof engine and trans... in a reliable car for a grand. I will preface this with "You didn't say desirable".

A number of GM (mostly Buick) sedans with 3800s have proven to be pretty indestructible to more than one of my family members. They look awful, drive like crap but just keep on chugging. Like an old refrigerator or that lawnmower thats been under the porch since the 70s. You don't want it - but can't seem to throw it away. And it won't die.

Here are some samples that I would follow up on in N. Atlanta.

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/cto/1454041196.html
http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/cto/1453954750.html
http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/cto/1453941811.html
http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/cto/1453862279.html
http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/cto/1453814203.html
http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/cto/1453296844.html
http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/cto/1452669183.html

This 97k mile Corolla 5 speed for $1.3K seems to bear repeating.
http://atlanta.craigslist.org/nat/cto/1453814203.html

Is this for someone who can handle checking the oil, can afford a timing belt change when needed, etc? What about a subaru legacy wagon?

Thanks folks!

Any of the 80s A-body GM cars (Century, Celebrity, Cutlass) with the 2.5 iron duke can be had for basically nothing and run forever. They rust a bit and generally suck but hardly ever break. My 86' Century with the 2.5 3-spd combo got mid 30mpg too! Finding one in decent shape can be hard but they're out there.

Its probably not the best choice for long term reliability, but i see alot of ls400s that look like they have been in the 24 hours of lemons (or maybe a figure 8 race) being used as daily drivers around the college i go to (mostly by eastern european immigrants it seems), but if they can survive that kind of abuse they must be pretty durable.

Nissan Maxima, Sentra, Altima

Mazda 626, 929, Milenia, Protege

Toyota something or another

Along the Toyota lines, look for a Geo Prism.

Same car as the Toyota, but without the Toyota price bump.

For example:

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/cto/1452422535.html

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/cto/1435161213.html

-Rob

Early/mid 90's Geo Prism/Corolla.

Just picked up my 89 Volvo 740 Turbo wagon for $500. Is 273,478 miles reliable enough for you? Volvo safety is legendary, though common sense says buy the newest thing you can if thats your #1 concern. Just needed a turbo ($200 on turbobricks.com) and some maintenance/tuning. It'll be both nice and quick for less than a G.

My last brick was $1200 for a nice 7 seater 91 945t with "only" 198k on it. That car is currently knocking on the door of 13 second 1/4s in the hands of tuna55 on here. I missed it so much I bought the 89 to replace it.

For the ultimate cheap hauler get a non-turbo. Dog slow but even more bulletproof. Oh and the motors are non-interference so getting one with a snapped timing belt is a cheep buy in as most go for little more than scrap value.

Saturn s-series 95 or newer for 2 airbags and no power seat belts

Nothing made in europe or with a ferrin name plate is a good candidate, as the $1000 nice cars (Honda, Acura, Toyota) are too beat and the $1000 crappy cars (Volvo, Saturn, Nissan, Renault) are not cheap for parts.

Taurus/Sable with the 3.0 pushrod "Vulcan" motor Escort/Tracer with the 1.9 SOHC Cavalier/Sunbird/Sunfire with the 4 cylinder or 3100 Beretta/Corsica with the 3100 or 2.2 OHV 4 cylinder W-bodies (Cutlass, Grand Prix, Lumina, Monte Carlo with the 3100) Neon SOHC

All these cars are at the absolute bottom of their depreciation curve with no sign of coming up, there are millions in junkyards, any corner mechanic can easily service them, and parts new, used, and remanufactured are all several magnitudes cheaper than any ferrin cars.

Price out an alternator, brake rotors, water pump, and a set of CV axles for a 1994 Honda Civic and a 1994 Beretta, and see what the difference is. Thats the cost of ownership.

Neon
Camry
Corolla
Escort (Probably best bet)
Protege
Tracer

93celicaGT2 wrote: ... Escort (Probably best bet) ...

Ding, Ding, Ding!!!! Winner.

93gsxturbo wrote: Nothing made in europe or with a ferrin name plate is a good candidate, as the$1000 crappy cars (Volvo, Saturn, Nissan, Renault) are not cheap for parts.

What planet are you on? Volvo parts are cheap as hell. Just need to know where to look. Isn't the internet great?

Escorts are nice and cheap. I've had a few. Best bang for your busk is still a brick.

As much as I dislike the crown vic based on the handling and having exploded the intake manifold I bet you can get one for cheap and they are a rather safe car. You can haul tons of stuff in them also. The fact that Vic have a hell of a depreciation curve and get rarely driven by the age 60+ crowd also helps.

Mopar M-body from the 80's. Someone mentioned the 3800 powered FWD slugs, and I'd second that, we had one in the family that pulled in nearly 350,000 before it was in an accident, an '89 Olds 88.
I like the Volvo 240 or 740 ideas as well.

Junkyard_Dog wrote: My last brick was $1200 for a nice 7 seater 91 945t with "only" 198k on it. That car is currently knocking on the door of 13 second 1/4s in the hands of tuna55 on here. I missed it so much I bought the 89 to replace it.

You made a bunch of money on that deal, eh? Just Kidding, it is well worth what I paid. Also, let's be realistic and say 'solidly in the 14's' because it was an 1/8th mile track, so it's tough to tell.

I am going to echo a few others here. Saturn/Buick/Olds/Pontiac is where you want to look. A Grand Am, Skylark, whatever. Get something with the 3800. The uglier the better. GM cars may not be the best for autocross, or impressing the car mags, but everyone here has to admit to having seen an old GM beast that will rod knock/smoke/rattle its way over 300K after NEVER having it's oil changed. EVER. The saying is that GM cars will run badly longer than most cars will run at all. MY sister had an 84 Skylark whose reliability was better than my Wife's mint 98 Civic DX. Yup. They aren't pretty, they won't handle, the interior will suck, and things will generally not be right here and there, but it will run.

Saturn would be my perfect non-enthusiastic reliable grocer getter sedan if I had to choose.

tuna55 wrote:

Junkyard_Dog wrote: My last brick was $1200 for a nice 7 seater 91 945t with "only" 198k on it. That car is currently knocking on the door of 13 second 1/4s in the hands of tuna55 on here. I missed it so much I bought the 89 to replace it.

You made a bunch of money on that deal, eh?

Add up the receipts in the folder-all my labor was free

tuna55 wrote: everyone here has to admit to having seen an old GM beast that will rod knock/smoke/rattle its way over 300K after NEVER having it's oil changed. EVER. The saying is that GM cars will run badly longer than most cars will run at all.

My problem with cheap GM cars is that they most likely WERE driven for 300k between oil changes by the time you get them.

tuna55 wrote: the interior will suck

Actually except for falling headliners GM interiors hold up incredibly well. They still suck, but they were designed that way.

Speaking of that - this weekend might be a junkyard day, and I am actively looking for a 15G turbo from an 850 for this bad boy so it pulls as hard from 4.5-6k as it does from 2.5-4k, but that's a serious thread hijack.

90-94 Protege; 87-91 Camry 4 cylinder; 86-89 Accord

All findable in decent shape in that price range.

I've seen a lot of late 80s Chevy Novas (aka Toyota Corollas) around here, in seemingly great condition, going for around $300-700. They're not fast, not fun, not hot-mom approved. But reliable transportation nonetheless.

any 90-93 gm w body with a 3.1 and 4t60

grand prix, regal, lumina, cutlass. the pre sfi 3100 mpfi 3.1 engine runs literally forever, until the vehicle rusts out around it, and does not put out enough power to break the transmission or wear out clutch packs. i've had several with well over 250k miles.

Inre: patgizz & this w-body idea;

God those are crap cars. Bleh. And who ever at GM green lighted the production of cars that sounded that bad just idling at the curb should have been slapped.