Potentially on the lookout for a beater...

Hi everybody,

So due to some recent events where I've had to lend my current wheels to family members, and said ride getting vandalized at my workplace, I may be in the market for a beater. I'm currently working on a degree, so cash is tight (short and long term), but I would like to have some additional knowledge so that if a steal of a deal can be had I can react quickly. I guess it's silly to get shopping advice this "early" but I may have difficulty getting information while school is in session.

I'm talking Challenge money here, and am exclusively looking at small cars. Any car that I might consider would also have to be absolutely reliable, though I'm aware condition plays a major role in this.

I've already thought about: Festiva (not sure about reliability, but there's something about it that draws me in...) Chevy Sprint, Suzuki Esteem, Alpha-engined Hyundai (seems to me this has been mentioned here before in other threads), Pre-Ion Saturn,

Thanks!

Prizm/Corolla, any Honda with a stick.

Kenny_McCormic wrote: Prizm/Corolla, any Honda with a stick.

Don't see any prizms here (Canada), and I don't expect to find any reasonably priced Hondas (will keep my eyes peeled).

Any other contributions?

Protege, Sentra

Pre-99 Volkswagen Golf or Jetta.

Neon, if you can include doing the timin belt and water pump if needed.

Tercel?

Cavalier..

Yeah, i honestly would be pretty confident in a 2.2 ohv / 5spd cavalier. The only common failures i know of on those are DIY'able. Dont tell anyone i said this but they are pretty punchy in their 'intended rpm range'.

That is not to say i recommend it over the other options. But it's a perfectly respectable car as far as beaters go. hehe

Vigo wrote: Yeah, i honestly would be pretty confident in a 2.2 ohv / 5spd cavalier. The only common failures i know of on those are DIY'able. Dont tell anyone i said this but they are pretty punchy in their 'intended rpm range'. That is not to say i recommend it over the other options. But it's a perfectly respectable car as far as beaters go. hehe

The 2200 OHV/Isuzu 5 speed powertrain is tough, buts that's all I can really say good about mine(Sunfire), well the sunroof didnt leak and the cruise and AC worked. I beat one relentlessly for 2.5 years. Bought it with a noisy trans, bad timing chain, and a rotted out K member(check the upright sections where they meek the K), fixed with JY K member and fixed trans with half a bottle of STP a bottle of Lucas trans fix, and topping of with 20w50. Threw a timing chain kit in it and drove.

The seats sucked. The engine was clearly intended for a truck or a tractor, though this made city driving easy, it sounded like the pistons were gonna come through the hood at redline. The rockers had started rusting when i bought it and the inners were getting soft when I sold it. It didnt like keeping the upright control arm bushing in one piece, I replaced them with moogs when I bought it and when I sold it they were coming unglued again. The cooling system was iffy, I replaced the radiator with a used one and the head gasket leaked externally on one corner, a bottle of the cheap bars leak fixed that. The front wheels once decided to try falling off. The AC inexplicably blew the blow off valve out of the compressor on the hottest day of the year, it worked fine when I fixed and recharged it. The clutch hydraulics were never right, and the slave involves dropping the trans. Both power window motors needed replaced, though I only ever fixed the drivers. The $15 trans dipstick fell out and puked most of the trans oil out once. It ate spark plugs every 20k. The trunk was always finding a new place to rust through and leak.

It always started, got about 27 mpg mixed, 40 keeping up with the trucks on the highway. Maintenance was more or less nothing but 4k mile oil changed with Mobil Super HM 10w40 and a white purolator. But it was a miserable piece of E36 M3 car that hated me. I'd strongly recommend something Japanese, or even Hyundai post 2000 or so over one.

That actually sounds worse than ive ever personally seen.

Mine was one of the nicest, most solid, best running 96 I had ever seen.

Forgot to mention, if you ever get T boned, prepare to die, worse with the 2 door.

Kenny_McCormic wrote: Mine was one of the nicest, most solid, best running 96 I had ever seen. Forgot to mention, if you ever get T boned, prepare to die, worse with the 2 door.

then don't get T boned...

regarding the OHV 2.2: i read somewhere that it started life out as an industrial engine in the 70's, and when they were trying to figure out an engine for their new compact fwd car, someone said "how about the engine in that forklift over there?"...

I have a Sentra, 1992 model. It's amazingly boring but solid.

I have to second the Protege bid. I beat on my 98 relentlessly for 50k miles and sold it for more than I paid with 235k on it. Still see it on the road regularly.