Yet another what car thread

DukeOfUndersteer wrote: How clean is his record?

Unfortunatly one minor scrape, no ticket.

81gtv6 wrote: How about a 99 SAAB 9-3? On the surface it meets all of the above requirments with the added benifit of being a turbo that will run on regular gas and the 99's still ran the T5 engine management system that will let you really wake the car kup with under $100 in mods.

Don't Saab's make Toyota's look reliable!!! Yikes

4eyes wrote:

DukeOfUndersteer wrote: What about Volkswagen/Audi?

He's baggin on Toyota reliability and you suggest VAG BWAHAahahahaha Don't understand the Toyohate, pick up a Consumer Report and see the truth of reliability.

Yeah, I kicked around a Mk I Golf, but they're too old. By the time you get to the mid 90's VW had diligently worked their way to the bottom of JD Power and other reliability guides. Now if an R32 was available for that money I'd be fighting him for it!

I don't really hate Turdbota, it's just working in the industry (Ford) I got so tired of hearing how good they were when they were no better or worse than the competition. The media is long overdue in waking up to that fact but it's started too over the last year.

I have three friends who work for Toyota. Their daily drivers are a Mustang, a Volvo and a Scoobie........ Also when I previously worked for Visteon who are Toyota's largest non Asian supplier we bought a Turdbota for my wife (she chooses her cars, I choose mine). The list of things that went wrong with that festering pile of doggie doo doo would crash the server. I find them overrated and dreadfully dull.

Tom_Spangler wrote: Mid 90s Probe GT/Mazda MX6?

I thought about that. Great driving cars, but from what I remember they were a pain to work on. Very very tight engine bay and had a habit of rusting up rear calipers. But I'd like to hear more opinions as man they were fun to drive. I don't see many around these days though.

My 9-3 has gone through one AC compressor and one fuel pump in its 195K miles, it has been more reliable than the 90 Celica it replaced. The Celica seemed to like to go through starters and alternators, I put at least three of each in the 10 years we had it.

I will not buy another Yota until they make cars that don't put you to sleep, but if I could find an All Track Celica in good shape I would dive in again.

If you want dual front airbags you probably are looking at 1995 or newer. The sentra se-r won't have dual airbags you would need a 95-98 200sx SE-R. Same goes for the VWs, it would have to be MK3 or newer.

E36 or Saab 900 - I'd go E36 but I'm a BMW fanboi.

81gtv6 wrote: My 9-3 has gone through one AC compressor and one fuel pump in its 195K miles, it has been more reliable than the 90 Celica it replaced. The Celica seemed to like to go through starters and alternators, I put at least three of each in the 10 years we had it. I will not buy another Yota until they make cars that don't put you to sleep, but if I could find an All Track Celica in good shape I would dive in again.

Hrmmm.... strange? What model? ST or GT/GTS?

I still had original starter and alternator on my last one, and original starter on the one i have now. But those were also 92-93s, it may be one of the improvements.

I'd consider looking for a clean e34 535i or even 525i... I have one in my shop that rolled over multiple times: doors still open and close with a nice solid "thunk".

njansenv wrote: I'd consider looking for a clean e34 535i or even 525i... I have one in my shop that rolled over multiple times: doors still open and close with a nice solid "thunk".

I'll vouch for the solidness/safety of them. What a solidly built car. The 525 is a dog, though i've only driven it with an autotrajic.

Alright, we're gonna play my version of what do I do if I have xxx dollars to buy a car. These should all be fairly easy to work on for a younger gentleman that may or may not be handy with a wrench.

First- I'm gonna say it- Toyota. Corolla. AE101 chassis (1993-97). Why would I say such a thing about such a boring car? One very simple answer. Turbo 7afe. Single cam 4 banger toyota. Bullet proof reliable, and a dime a dozen so they're cheap if you pop one. Manis are easy to come buy on the cheap, junkyard turbo, cheap fuel control and you're golden.

Volvo 240. Wagon. (Ok I'm a sucker for wagons, a bigger sucker for Volvos, and well you put the two together and add FI to it....)

Ford Festiva- Shares many of the same components as the Escort GT. b6t is an easy swap, as is a BP, and a b8. Light, cheap as hell, and pretty much anything fits.

Mazda Protege. Bullet proof reliable without the Toyota/Honda nameplate. Platform sharing is abundant with the Escort GT.

E36 or ZX2. We have two ZX2s in the family- one belongs to one of my younger sisters, and my two twin younger sisters share another. The non-twin sister and I drove her ZX2 from L.A. to MA on a 3,000+ mile road trip- the car gave us no problems at all aside from blown-out license plate lights.

The ZX2 is as reliable as the day is long, parts are cheap and plentiful, gas mileage is awesome (I was seeing close to 40mpg at times on the trip), it's easy to work on, and it's fun to toss around even in automatic form.

Downsides are that it's cramped in the backseat, not a whole lot of cargo room, it's shaky at idle (manuals don't shake as bad), and the steering wheel and interior plastics feel like Silly Putty.

I wouldn't do the FC RX-7 as a DD. I love mine and used it as a DD for 3 months this year, but gas mileage is abysmal and you can't extend oil changes past 3,000mi like you can with a boinger. Plus, the newest ones are 18 years old, so depending on how sympathetic the owner was, you may find yourself replacing a lot of worn-out wear items. I've replaced almost every steering and braking component aside from the rack on mine, for example.

mtn wrote:

Adrian_Thompson wrote: 2. E30 too old, no airbags or ABS

This is news to me and my E30 with a steering wheel that says SRS and brakes that do not lock up....

The truth. I have a '91 also, but mine's a 325i. It's got an airbag and ABS. Or at least it had ABS until I removed it. And it will continue to have an airbag until I replace the wheel.

If only the ZX2 has been made in hatchback form rather than coupe. The ZX3 had too much different, and the Escort didn't have the engine.

I give the same advice to all parents based upon my years of defending insurance cases: the more ppl a car can hold makes it more dangerous for a teen. There is always someone in the backseat who is urging the driver to pass the next car. Just cant describe the carnage that I have seen.
Small cars are the better way. If you dont like Toyota's, it is hard to beat the other aisans ie Nissan, Mazda or Honda. Buy european only if he has an interest in diy repairs.

ZX2's trust me we're all very familiar with them. I was the brake/wheel/tire Engineer, his dad was the fuel tank/filler pipe/lines Engineer. One of our best friends worked on the front sub frame and his wife raced one in show room stock. I raced her car once when my ITC Fiesta was dead. I even did some of the 24 hour drive at Gratton for the ZX2/SR sign off. We all know ZX2's. His sister already has one which may count against them though!!!

OK, I was wrong on E30's not having ABS or airbags, but they are too old I think.

Volvo wagons rock my world; I drive a new C30, but don't really score high for a 17 year old.

I'm really liking the Probe GT thing. As Tom pointed out Mazda chassis with Ford depreciation, and man were they fun to drive.

FC Rx7. I had one, awesome car, but I think it's too old and as RexSeven pointed out gas mileage sucks both literally and figuratively.

Festiva, too small and fragile I think, it also misses on the image I'm gonna guess.

Are e34's in the price range? HHmmmm

I also like the Saturn suggestion, great little car's I'd forgotten about. 2.2 Scooby has possibilities too.

I'll forward a link to this thread to the kid and let him spend some quality time on Craig's list 

Image schmimage. Granted I was pretty much an outcast in high school.... but theres' more respect to be had IMO by something awesome being made, not bought. Anyones' daddy can hand them a Jeep, it takes a real (young) man to build his own car and take his own path.

Out of those, I'd say SER. Very fun cars.

BUT, I disagree with #3 "no". Plenty of Civics can be had for under $3k. And plenty reliable, too. I'd shoot for a 1992-2000 Civics, as my personal opinion is, they were the best year models to date. There are PLENTY of aftermarket options for those cars. Reliability is great, and working on them is easy. Parts are super easy to get.

My current 97 Civic has 187k miles and still going strong.

Looking at the current classifieds here, there were a few 97-98 Civic coupes and sedans for sale right at or under $2k. Most had about 150k miles.

Adrian_Thompson wrote: Are e34's in the price range?

Yes. Not as sporty as some of the others mentioned, but a solid and capable car.

I thought Mitsubishi 3000GT, but I suppose it would fail some of the criteria

mndsm wrote: Image schmimage. Granted I was pretty much an outcast in high school.... but theres' more respect to be had IMO by something awesome being made, not bought. Anyones' daddy can hand them a Jeep, it takes a real (young) man to build his own car and take his own path.

Give the kid a brake. He's already got an Escape that he's looking to pass to his mom so he can get something more fun with a stick. I've know the kid since he was 2 years old, he's a great kid, straight A+ student with his head screwed on right. He's a senior in high school and I pay him, to tutor my 14 year old freshman daughter. She thinks he's better than her regular math teacher. If he wasn't something with a stick and more sporty than an Escape then I say go for it. He's been working delivering papers for years, works hard, plays hard. He's one of the best kids I know. And don't forget I've already mentioned that he and his dad recently went in together and flipped a Chevy something or other after cleaning it up, repairing and painting the bumper, fixing the brakes etc.

JeepinMatt wrote: I thought Mitsubishi 3000GT, but I suppose it would fail some of the criteria

The always struck me as a car to only own with a warranty.

Saturn SC2 is high on the list. Replace the upper motor mount! (25 bucks, 10minutes) No rust plastic panels are just pefect for us in MI. How about a S-10 w/ ZQ8 sport suspension? Cheaper to buy a clean standard truck, then swap in the sport stuff from a wreck. They handle very well considering what it is.

njansenv wrote: I'd consider looking for a clean e34 535i or even 525i... I have one in my shop that rolled over multiple times: doors still open and close with a nice solid "thunk".

I got broadsided by a Santa Fe doing 30+ in an E28 535is. Hit right at the front of the drivers door and front wheel. I put it in reverse and backed it out of the road, opened the door and got out to survey the damage. I had some scratches on my face I assume came from flying glass but otherwise the ol tank took a bullet for me. The impact bent the frame horns up front and the car had to be euthanized.

Yes the Saturn makes a very good case for itself. They're fun autocrossers too, dirt cheap. I'll pass that one on.

Trucks. Yyuuukkkkk He doesn't
A) Pull a race car/boat/horse trailer
B) Work as a building contractor
C) Work for an NGA in a 3rd world country
D) Want to marry his sister

Therefore he is totally unsuited to truck ownership. Any truck therefore goes to the bottom of the list, above only anything with the word Toyota on the trunk. Toyota and truck in the same sentence? That would warrant at 10th circle of hell, below Brutus and Cassius.

Note this post is 11.3% tongue in cheek.