What Car, Truly Unkillable Beater Edition

slantvaliant wrote:

EvanR wrote: '72 Dodge Dart. If you can kill that, your license should be revoked.

My wife killed a Slant Six once. I don't let her drive the Valiant.

How?

I know someone who used the same slant six through multiple demo derbies.

P71...

paul wrote: P71...

With me it would spit spark plugs, blow transmissions and eat rear wheel bearings, all while getting 18 mpg.

poopshovel wrote: Hey man, nice 'Vette!

That isn't mine, just some fine imagery I snagged off google - there is no visual recording of that mess of a car anywhere. It was slightly silver though. With red primer around the windshield.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:

poopshovel wrote: Hey man, nice 'Vette!

That isn't mine, just some fine imagery I snagged off google - there is no visual recording of that mess of a car anywhere. It was slightly silver though. With red primer around the windshield.

Yeah, I figured it was a google images grab. I just have berkeleying tourettes that way when it comes to Chevettes. I can't not say it. NICE VETTE NICE VETTE NICE VETTE berkeley TITTY ANALC*NT!

91-93 caprice/roadmonster

bonus points for wagon.

i've tried to kill them and couldnt. i put a 212k mile blown headgasket 305 in my old 91 just because it came with a rebuilt trans and my car was up around 250k. i drove the blown headgasket motor 8k miles and finally had trouble in 100 degree heat on i-95 parking lot in virginia. found exit after an hour at or above temp redline, got to parts store and bought thermostat gasket/pulled thermostat out completely, and drove the rest of the 8 hour trip back to ohio. then i drove it another 8 months before i finally yanked it out for a junkyard 350.

Yes indeed the Mopar slant six.

My uncle's Ford 300 6 cylinder has towed tug boats out of the water for example, and also many other abusive things and is still living.

drainoil wrote: Yes indeed the Mopar slant six. My uncle's Ford 300 6 cylinder has towed tug boats out of the water for example, and also many other abusive things and is still living.

I remember when the whole "cash for clunkers" thing was going on dealership service guys were taking cell phone videos of the motors seizing. I recall one of them was of a 300 F150 and it wouldn't die.

My prizm knocks for the first 5 or 10 minutes of operation...but it's done that for the past 50,000 miles. It'll die one of these days, maybe

sobe_death wrote: unkillable beater? Any Honda with a D-15 engine. If it's not burning oil now, you probably have another easy 80,000 miles on top of whatever it has now.

this

A 92-00 Civic is a cockroach. Change the oil and don't let it overheat. The AC will inevitably not work (10 years seems like the lifespan) and the clutch master/slave cylinders will crap out around 175k or so, but they just run.

D15/D16 was ludicrous engineering.

calteg wrote: My prizm knocks for the first 5 or 10 minutes of operation...but it's done that for the past 50,000 miles. It'll die one of these days, maybe

The one I brought up earlier in this thread toasted some rod bearings at one point. At the time, my only other car was my DSM, which was broken (surprise) and I couldn't afford to fix it right away. I ended up driving the Prizm for another 6 months with the rod knock. I never even added oil to it. I beat the piss out of it too, and went somewhere around 3500 miles while still netting 30+MPG. Before I parked it, it got real bad but the car still ran and drove. Patience paid off because I ended up finding a crashed Prizm with 77k for only $300 and used it's motor.

gamby wrote:

sobe_death wrote: unkillable beater? Any Honda with a D-15 engine. If it's not burning oil now, you probably have another easy 80,000 miles on top of whatever it has now.

this A 92-00 Civic is a cockroach. Change the oil and don't let it overheat. The AC will inevitably not work (10 years seems like the lifespan) and the clutch master/slave cylinders will crap out around 175k or so, but they just run. D15/D16 was ludicrous engineering.

Let's just clarify this:

Check the oil (they can leak or burn especially if the PCV is bad)

CHANGE THE TIMING BELT OFTEN

Don't EVER EVER EVER EVEN FOR A SECOND let it overheat.

Also, overpay...

In reply to Kenny_McCormic: Although the motors are tough in those things I have been in over 15 of them that have over 400,000 miles. And another 50 or so with mileage at 200K-300k+ miles. These were cop cars then taxis, and taxi mechanics just add fluids until something completely fails, and the car becomes unmovable.

GA16 in sentras go in the cockroach department. My mother bought one that was rental car before she got it. It was more bondo than car at that point. I drove it a couple of months, it leaked oil because the pan was rusting out and had bad compression on a cylinder or 2. 50% of the time I checked the oil it was lower than the dipstick. I kept telling her as soon as the motor went I would find another on for free leftover from a sr20swap somewhere. The motor never went, never knocked after 10 years of this. The only thing she ever had done was work for the extensive rust

mtn wrote:

slantvaliant wrote:

EvanR wrote: '72 Dodge Dart. If you can kill that, your license should be revoked.

My wife killed a Slant Six once.

How? How is that possible?

I'm not sure, but it apparently happened about 35 miles into a 50 mile run on I-44. I know the fluid levels were good the day before. It spun a couple of bearings.

tuna55 wrote: Let's just clarify this: Check the oil (they can leak or burn especially if the PCV is bad) CHANGE THE TIMING BELT OFTEN Don't EVER EVER EVER EVEN FOR A SECOND let it overheat. Also, overpay...

When I got my 2000 DX beater, it was on the original timing belt/H2O pump at 141k miles.

That's the trouble with Hondas, bottom dollar on anything truly turn key, is nuts compared to a Corolla/Prizm. Plus the iron block Toyota is less likely to warp all to hell if a radiator hose pops, or you get the classic Japanese radiator explosion, its near guaranteed death for a Honda watch winder.

I'm thinking 4/7A-FE Prizm/Corolla with a stick is my best bet.

Go Prizm. Its got the GEO stigma so you wont have to pay the inflated prices for the identical Japanese cowboy.

slantvaliant wrote: I'm not sure, but it apparently happened about 35 miles into a 50 mile run on I-44. I know the fluid levels were good the day before. It spun a couple of bearings.

Let me guess... 25 of those miles were made in second gear?

I don't think I've ever actually offered up my opinion on this.

Japanese cars are very good at this, but.

BUT

The old addage: a GM will run badly longer than most cars will run seems true. Rod's knocking, no coolant, dry dipstick, it just seems like the most antiquated, lowest performing, miserable sounding engine on the plant just doesn't die. My Dad has a Somona with an iron duke that runs. That's about all I can say. It probably makes 80 hp, it weezes and coughs it's way onto the interstate. It is TERRIBLE but it won't die, either.

In reply to tuna55:

True, however, I, and my family, are a special, special case. My dad killed a 5.3 LS truck engine within an hour of purchase, from running great to locked up with internals broken, dipstick jammed in place, on the highway, with no explanation whatsoever, it just decided to lose oil pressure entirely. Happens to every other truck he buys, like $3000+ should last for 10+ years trucks. Definitely had good clean oil in it the day before when I did the PPI. My sunfire runs on hate, not GM magic, it just hates me enough to stay alive in spite.

Appleseed wrote: 80s Toyota pickup/4runner. Wail away.

The 4 bangers really like headgaskets..

too bad this isn't a yr/yr and a half from now ... my '01 Integra ( 88k miles ) is going to be for sale

Well, the Georolla/Accord/Civic hunt is quite a bit harder that expected, unless I'm willing to put up with small car automatics(never will I drop that low). Minitrucks? Ranger perhaps? S10? I've had good luck with one GM 2.2 pushrod engine, but chevys are hit n miss. Toyota trucks suck too much gas and rot away up here.

Kenny_McCormic wrote: In reply to tuna55: My dad killed a 5.3 LS truck engine within an hour of purchase, from running great to locked up with internals broken, dipstick jammed in place, on the highway, with no explanation whatsoever, it just decided to lose oil pressure entirely. My sunfire runs on hate, not GM magic, it just hates me enough to stay alive in spite.

Lol. Clearly your Sunfire is the problem. The rest of your fleet will have peace only when the dibbuk has been appeased.

Kenny_McCormic wrote: Well, the Georolla/Accord/Civic hunt is quite a bit harder that expected, unless I'm willing to put up with small car automatics(never will I drop that low). Minitrucks? Ranger perhaps? S10? I've had good luck with one GM 2.2 pushrod engine, but chevys are hit n miss. Toyota trucks suck too much gas and rot away up here.

I think you are giving this too much thought. Just buy a cheap car, beat it within an inch of it's life, and if it does happen to die on you just set it on fire and repeat.