A hypothetical which car

Hypothetically, I could get a car for next semester. It's about a 40-60 chance right now. And normally, I would just say E30/Miata, and be done with it, but I have some more limiting criteria.

First, the primary reason for wanting a car is to have a place to keep my hockey equipment. For those who have played, you know it is large, bulky, and SMELLY. This immediately eliminates any hatchbacks, and probably eliminates the Miata, because I would also want to keep a golf bag in there--no chance of both fitting. I think that the best idea would be a pickup truck with a capper so i wouldn't have to worry about theft or smell, but I figure that I would ask here as well.

Requirements: Stick shift, and $3000ish and down. Good gas mileage is nice, but I wouldn't be driving a lot, so not a dealbreaker. And it would be outside in a college parking lot. Think beater.

I would prefer RWD, but, whatever.

What ideas does GRM have?

P71 with a 5-speed swap? Bonus on being able to make extra money bringing drunk friends home without having to worry about cleaning up puke

Not too cheap swapping a five-speed into a P71 though, is it?

Ridiculous cheap. Grab a Mustang 5-speed from a 96-04 GT along with the pedal and whatnot. Easy as pie all you need is a sawzall for the trans tunnel

One of the minitrucks w/camper top? Nissan, Izuzu, Toyota?

El Camino?

Only issue with a mini-truck is that most camper shells aren't very secure, especially ones on sub $3k trucks. Might be able to pull it off with one of those hard tanneau covers, but those be pricey.

If not a minitruck, you're looking for a big trunk. Big trunks are on big cars. Malaise-era muscle would probably be your best bet for finding a big trunk, manual trans, all under $3k. Disco Nova, Gran Torino, Cougars, Challengers... just do a head/cam/intake swap, ditch the emissions equipment, and call it good.

My default answer:

4-door Civic (a '96 could probably be had for $3k)

Throw some secondhand Konis on it and maybe a shortshifter. The trunk will easily fit 3 golf bags, BTW (My 99 coupe did)

AS always, if the answer isn't Miata its E30.

Just make sure it has the folddown arm rest in the rear seat so you can open up the ski door in the trunk for the sticks to pass thru and you are good to go.

so you want to store your hockey gear in your car in a college parking lot, and only check on it a couple times a week? i'd say its not long before the hockey gear, if not the car AND hockey gear are gone.

E30 would be a good choice.

Also Maxima or Jetta

ReverendDexter wrote: If not a minitruck, you're looking for a big trunk. Big trunks are on big cars. Malaise-era muscle would probably be your best bet for finding a big trunk, manual trans, all under $3k. Disco Nova, Gran Torino, Cougars, Challengers... just do a head/cam/intake swap, ditch the emissions equipment, and call it good.

Have fun with milage on the big cars. A V-6/manual fullsize P-up would be easier to find, be in better shape and have similar milage.

but what amazes me is that the GRM trinity was discounted on criteria, you guys found a way recomend them anyway.

Strizzo wrote: so you want to store your hockey gear in your car in a college parking lot, and only check on it a couple times a week? i'd say its not long before the hockey gear, if not the car AND hockey gear are gone.

The car wouldn't be gone, and unless somebody knew that I kept it in there, neither would the hockey equipment.... And all of mine is so old/used that its junk anyways, other than the skates... And I keep the skates in my room.

It probably won't happen, I was just wondering what the GRM community had to say about it.

neon4891 wrote: but what amazes me is that the GRM trinity was discounted on criteria, you guys found a way recomend them anyway.

When someone discounts the E30 on criteria they are usually wrong. If you are looking for a car, and the answer isn't Miata then the answer is E30. There is nothing it cannot do except hover. You are just not thinking about how to apply it hard enough.

Keeping the gear in the car all the time will make for a stinky car. You usually only have seats between you and the stink. Hell I can notice if I leave my cleats in the car over night.

I am a hockey player(goalie), so I do understand the stink factor involved. When I was in college and played, there were some points when I couldn't keep the gear at the rink. A can of lysol was my friend...let the stuff dry, spray with lysol and pack it up in a quality hockey bag. I was able to keep it in my dorm closet without stink(I kept my clothes in another closet). If you are going to keep it in your car, find a way to seal the trunk. You are going to have to have the stuff dry out anyway....cause you can't just pack away sweat soaked gear in a trunk...or the next time you wear it, you'll have to scrape off the mold.

sachilles wrote: Keeping the gear in the car all the time will make for a stinky car. You usually only have seats between you and the stink. Hell I can notice if I leave my cleats in the car over night. I am a hockey player(goalie), so I do understand the stink factor involved. When I was in college and played, there were some points when I couldn't keep the gear at the rink. A can of lysol was my friend...let the stuff dry, spray with lysol and pack it up in a quality hockey bag. I was able to keep it in my dorm closet without stink(I kept my clothes in another closet). If you are going to keep it in your car, find a way to seal the trunk. You are going to have to have the stuff dry out anyway....cause you can't just pack away sweat soaked gear in a trunk...or the next time you wear it, you'll have to scrape off the mold.

Trust me, I know all about this. This is why a pick-up seems to be the only answer... My friend did it, and rigged up a fan to dry out the equipment while in the bed.

I'd agree that a truck might be the answer....(mistakenly) I thought I saw that you didn't want a truck. Dooming yourself to a truck, so you can store your hockey gear seems like a waste(unless you really want a truck).

Perhaps you could convince a freshman to store your gear in his room in exchange for beer?

OK, upon further thinking a 1963 Corvair 95 Rampside Pickup/Van would do the trick. Its a van when you need one and a stink hauler in a jiffy.

walterj wrote: If you are looking for a car, and the answer isn't Miata then the answer is E30. There is nothing it cannot do except hover.

That sounds like a challenge there. Someone needs to build an E30 hovercraft now.

sachilles wrote: Perhaps you could convince a freshman to store your gear in his room in exchange for beer?

I am a freshman

Osterkraut wrote: One of the minitrucks w/camper top? Nissan, Izuzu, Toyota? El Camino?

My vote. My brother used a Ranger with a shell. once he went to Stony Brook for his masters it also served as an apartment a couple nights a.week. He had an air matress and radio in the bed and hooked up to "shore power" at the base of a lamp post. The stupid truck is his work truck now with 150k and still gets 30 mpg on the highway.

You are pretty well hosed then.

Is this for school team? You sure they don't have a locker room you can store it in?

Freshman year was horrible...we had morning practices, allowing just enough time to get to my 8am class...no shower. The ladies loved me

It really sounds like a 2wd std or x cab Ranger would be up your alley. They can be had for $3k and under all day and seem to be pretty reliable..

sachilles wrote: You are pretty well hosed then. Is this for school team? You sure they don't have a locker room you can store it in? Freshman year was horrible...we had morning practices, allowing just enough time to get to my 8am class...no shower. The ladies loved me

Not for a school team. Not gonna deal with an shiny happy person coach, not gonna deal with paying too much for it. This is just for open hockey. I've been reffing games and going to open skate with my girlfriend, but it is not the same, and having a vehicle is really the only plausible way of keeping equipment here at school. This is obviously all hypothetical, it would/will take a lot of convincing for my dad.

For those of you who say that I should just buy it myself... I would love to, but for as long as my dad pays for my college education, I'm not allowed to spend my own money without his permission.