You are here: Forums Smart Shopper Good, Cheap Beater Cars & Inexpensive Commuter Cars - how to find one?

Good, Cheap Beater Cars & Inexpensive Commuter Cars - how to find one?

345 messages,  Last post on Nov 25, 2009 at 9:00 AM

You are in the Smart Shopper Forum. Your Hosts are kirstie_h & tidester

What is this discussion about? Acura Integra, Chevrolet Monte Carlo, Ford Escort, Honda Civic, Mazda Protege, Buying Insurance

#276 of 345 Re: confirmed re '95 Saturn seatbelts [ghulet] by geo9 Aug 09, 2006 (9:17 am)
Replying to: ghulet (Aug 07, 2006 8:57 pm) G.............If the radio is locked out or has a "err" message on the display. I have a link to a thread to possibly unlock it. Otherwise a GM dealer will charge you about $100 to unlock the theft-loc feature...........   Will send it e-mail if needed............
#277 of 345 geo9 by ghulet Aug 09, 2006 (12:16 pm)
That would be awesome....the light on the display is lit, but it says 'code' or something like that...it's the cassette with the equalizer. The current owner (I haven't picked it up yet, she's waiting on her new car) says it worked perfectly until three years ago, when the car died and after it was towed, it didn't work. After that, she took it to the Saturn dealer, they told her it was 'fried'. Sounds odd...my experience has been that you just have to enter the code after the battery dies or is disconnected and it works, though I did have one experience with a SAAB radio (the first year they had theft codes--1986!) where it wouldn't come on for sometimes days at a time, then would suddenly start playing. Either way, I'd love to try to have it fixed, rather than put $100-150 into the radio on a car that only cost $400 to begin with. Thanks for the offer....my e-mail is ghulethotmail.com.
#278 of 345 didn't try the radio... by ghulet Aug 16, 2006 (10:31 pm)
...but I did pick up the Saturn today, it 'seems' fine, for what it is...I would never have chosen it, but for a hoopty, it looks fine, runs fine (no smells, no dash lights lit, no bad sounds, though tires are a bit thin and needs an interior cleaning), brakes fine...I knew the sunroof was fishy (electric--works horizontally opening, not closing, won't close back down, and apparently leaks) and the radio and a/c don't work, but still...it is what it is...we just bought a house, I didn't 'need' a car, but this is the perfect city car/grocery-getter, I think. It's the best-looking and running $400 car I never wanted. Replies to this message: british_rover (Aug 17, 2006 4:51 am)
#279 of 345 Re: didn't try the radio... [ghulet] by british_rover Aug 17, 2006 (4:51 am)
Replying to: ghulet (Aug 16, 2006 10:31 pm) What year and how many miles on the saturn??   I took a 1996 Saturn sedan manual in trade not long ago that was really worth 25 dollars. If I didn't have a demo car to drive already I would use it as a commuter.
#280 of 345 details by ghulet Aug 17, 2006 (7:50 am)
It's a '95 SL2, automatic (which isn't so bad, I'm usually a manual guy), blue/black with tan leather, all options except CD player (unfortunately, the sunroof is glitchy), just passed 160k. It's not worth much, but I still see these (and any other non-beat up running car) all the time with silly asking prices (over $1000, which to me is silly for an 11-12 year-old domestic econocar with 160k). Replies to this message: british_rover (Aug 17, 2006 7:54 am)
#281 of 345 Re: details [ghulet] by british_rover Aug 17, 2006 (7:54 am)
Replying to: ghulet (Aug 17, 2006 7:50 am) Yeah the one I took in was the same just a manual.
#282 of 345 1966= $300 2006= $1884 by stuartf Aug 21, 2006 (10:25 am)
OK, I need a car for a year, mostly around town and in-state. For the fun of it, I thought I would try to spend what I spent on my first vehicle (adjusted for inflation), a 1960 Renault Dauphine purchased in 1966 for $300; kept it two years and had to put a salvage engine in it ($75) but it ran and ran for all its 36 HP.   I think I will stay away from the Koreans on this go round, see that the Escorts and Mazdas from the mid to late 90's might fit the bill. As always, I guess condition of the vehicle is most important.   IMHO, buying from the private owner is the best strategy. I am going to see a 1988 CRX-si with 64K miles asking 2350 this afternoon.   Any other suggestions?? Replies to this message: kirstie_h (Aug 21, 2006 11:51 am) guss (Aug 23, 2006 11:23 am) stuartf (Aug 23, 2006 5:58 pm) asafonov (Aug 24, 2006 7:15 am) stuartf (Aug 24, 2006 6:25 pm) and 1 more...
#283 of 345 Re: 1966= $300 2006= $1884 [stuartf] by kirstie_h HOST Aug 21, 2006 (11:51 am)
Replying to: stuartf (Aug 21, 2006 10:25 am) I'm a big fan of the Protege. My '96 ate little gas, was fun to drive (manual shift), and I think magic elves performed maintenance while I slept, because it cost almost nothing in repairs. You should be able to get a later model Protege for the same $ as the '88 Civic you're looking at, though the 64K miles is an attraction. Replies to this message: guss (Aug 23, 2006 11:23 am)
#284 of 345 Re: 1966= $300 2006= $1884 [kirstie_h] by guss Aug 23, 2006 (11:23 am)
Replying to: kirstie_h (Aug 21, 2006 11:51 am) I would be willing to bet that 64k miles is followed by a parenthases. As in (on rebuilt engine). The ain't no one driving a commuter car 3000 mile per year.   If I had to get a car for under $2k, I would be looking at Buick Century's ,Chevy Lumina's and on the smaller side Mazda Protege's The 2 American cars are plentiful,parts are cheap, and every mechanic in North America knows how to work on them.
#285 of 345 Re: 1966= $300 2006= $1884 [stuartf] by stuartf Aug 23, 2006 (5:58 pm)
Replying to: stuartf (Aug 21, 2006 10:25 am) I am rounding it up to $2k, I have an allergy to US designed iron... so far, the Prizm and the Escort seem to be the best for the $$, near replicas of the Corolla and the Protege for 20% less. Finding a 5 speed has proven to be the problem, lots of autos out there.   BTW, I was the mistaken one about the CRX, it had 102K, it was genuine, but it had been modified to the taste of an adolescent, not the thing for me.   I have also taken to heart the suggestion about putting word out in my networks; just missed by a week or two an older Protege that was sold for $100 (my, that beats the 1966 price of the Dauphine).   Keep the suggestions coming. Replies to this message: asafonov (Aug 24, 2006 7:15 am) stuartf (Aug 24, 2006 6:25 pm) foona (Aug 25, 2006 2:34 am)

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