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

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

#300 of 345 A real diamond in the rough... by phinneas519 Nov 28, 2006 (10:41 am)
I just bought my mom a $1,000 1978 Ford Fairmont that was in *impeccable* condition. Since it was a North Dakota car, it had no rust of any sort and it took only minimal fixing to get it ready for the trip back to WI (it belonged to an old lady whose son was a mechanic). He replaced all the leaky gaskets and other niggling things and all we had to do is give it a good 10 point inspection. Only 63,000 original miles. No fading in the interior - just a wonderful beater car for mom and definitely her type of vehicle - fits her like a glove. It runs much more smoothly and silently than the '88 Volvo 760 that was previously being considered for a good bit more money. Thank goodness for older cars that are well-preserved.
#301 of 345 thrill of the hunt by occupant1 Nov 28, 2006 (9:20 pm)
definitely...   I do the same thing for my friends as I do for myself. Friend "K" asks me to find him a $400 car, and I search around and make some calls and then let him know what I found. If he doesn't like any of them, I take him to an impound auction and let him pick the car.   My yard looks terrific. The Celebrity I bought looks as good as it runs. It'll look better when I have time to detail it. Some people may call it polishing a turd, but I have beautiful turds.
#302 of 345 Manual Transmission by kbt Dec 20, 2006 (7:10 am)
I feel strongly about teaching my kids to drive stick, but don't have one. Toying with the idea of finding a cheap one to put 'em in to learn on. They'd be doing "around town" stuff but no real mileage, but the tranny, of course, will take a beating.   Not even sure what the best models to look at are. Not many mom-vans with stick shift, it's been awhile since I've paid much attention to that. Replies to this message: qbrozen (Dec 20, 2006 7:35 am) kbt (Dec 20, 2006 8:21 am) stubborn1 (Dec 20, 2006 7:16 pm)
#303 of 345 Re: Manual Transmission [kbt] by qbrozen Dec 20, 2006 (7:35 am)
Replying to: kbt (Dec 20, 2006 7:10 am) well, there are a ton of choices. Was there a certain style of vehicle you are thinking of? Does it NEED to be a mom-van? What is a mom-van, anyway? minivan? suv? cuv? wagon?   anyhoo... how bout a pricerange?   i'd suggest a Civic. But, if that's too pricey, then a Protege. If you want to go REALY cheap, there are a million 4-cyl manual tranny compact pickup trucks out there. $2k will get you a usable one. Replies to this message: kbt (Dec 20, 2006 8:21 am)
#304 of 345 Re: Manual Transmission [qbrozen] by kbt Dec 20, 2006 (8:21 am)
Replying to: qbrozen (Dec 20, 2006 7:35 am) No, NOT a momvan. I just need something I can teach a teen on and not worry tremendously about her going to the grocery store with once she learns. And then her brother... then her sister. Just saying I've been in vans/SUV's for so long that I haven't paid one bit of attention to what models are reliable with stick, etc.   And while I always buy used cars, my price range is a bit higher than what I'm hoping to pay for this little learning experience, so I was attracted to this thread.   4-cyl manual tranny compact pickup trucks   My dad had one of those sitting in his driveway for years and just last year gave it away to the yard guy. LOL! Thanks, dad.
#305 of 345 Re: Manual Transmission [kbt] by stubborn1 Dec 20, 2006 (7:16 pm)
Replying to: kbt (Dec 20, 2006 7:10 am) If you just want training on driving a stick, check with a local driving school. Some offer training on manual transmission vehicles and would probably be a lot cheaper. If you need the additional vehicle, that's another story.   You could also try some of the smaller car rental companies and see if they have anything with a manual.
#306 of 345 beaters and winter beaters by michiganmikey Jan 10, 2007 (8:13 am)
My personal fave was a 1972 Skylark that I got for $400. Made it through two Kansas winters with that beast and it never missed a beat. I have a $1000 Infiniti right now that I love--Craigslist is a great resource for these things.   Incidentally, and I'm only providing this as an information resource (not endorsement/advertisement), there's a site that does nothing but review beaters, but their criteria is up to $5000. It's called Beater Review at http://www.beaterreview.com
#307 of 345 1981 Mazda 626...Work of ART!!!! by joyrider147 Sep 08, 2007 (2:26 pm)
My dad bought a '81 Mazda 626 with 125,000 miles for $50.00. It has a 2.0 4 cylinder and 5 speed manual. Just dump a quart of oil a month, brakes once every so often, 4 tires 50,000 miles later, and a yearly inspection.   When we were driving it in 1998, WE WERE BLOWING THE DOORS OFF OF BRAND NEW CARS AT 75 MPH!!!!   Highly reliable, highly dependable, rarely broke down and when it did, it was for small stuff. We put 16,000 miles a year on that car and junked it at 250,000 when the rear shaft broke. On Youtube.com, I saw someone having a car like that and was smashing it into a Subaru station wagon at the beach.   Built in 1981, and here it is 25 YEARS LATER.... THE DAMN CAR IS STILL ON THE ROAD DRIVING????? You know how people say Ford= Found on Road Dead or Fix or Repair Daily? I say: Mazda= "Don't Need to Fix or Repair" or "Still on Road Driving!"   Why did Ford buy Mazda from the Japanese just so that in the later models they can destroy its quality?
#308 of 345 1987 BMW 528e...Good find! by joyrider147 Sep 08, 2007 (2:35 pm)
I found a 1987 BMW 528e in very good condition for $950.00. Just add a new windshield, 2 tires, an instrument panel, and a driver's seat for a total of $300 extra. The car is practically brand new. Even all the accessories, the interior, and paint job was pristine. Little to no rust at all! Performs as good at was made 20 years ago! Even while driving on the highway, the tires anchors themselves the road from the stiff suspension. Replies to this message: im_brentwood (Sep 08, 2007 10:33 pm)
#309 of 345 '87 Ford Escort EXP... to buy or not to buy? by joyrider147 Sep 08, 2007 (2:43 pm)
I found a "brand new" 1987 Ford Escort EXP with a stick shift, 87,500 miles, and I think its had only 1 owner for $900.00.   I heard about several people having problems with Escorts, but would these problems still be there even if the original owner maintained the car extremely well, including all wiring and wiring harness?   But I heard the Escort engine itself is powerful, dependable, and reliable. And I've been seeing a lot of Escorts being sold cheaply for low miles. But, is it to make a quick sale for 16 to 20 year old Fords that were forgotten about or are they cars that you dump money in?    To buy or not to buy?

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