Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: MaSonZ on May 25, 2009, 03:24:15 PM
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trying to get ideas for a car for me. will be a getting my permit mid to late fall (hopefully), and my mom and I can't seem to agree on anything for car. she wants something safe, understandibly, as do i. however she just says safe like theres only a few safe cars to choose from. Ive done a few hours research, talked to my mom,dad and brother, and my brother and dad agree with me, i wont be needing a truck daily, and if i did I could ask them or my mom. anyway, back on topic, Im lookin for somethin a little sporty (a volkswagen jetta, mazda, something like that) with a manual, good fuel economy etc. etc. as I said my mom and I cant seem to see even romotely close to eye to eye on anything, and im out of options. any ideas or help?
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Find the cheapest, just barely working, vehicle you can buy.
When you are just starting to learn how to drive you don't want to buy a car you actually like because you may damage it.
My first car was a 1991 Chevy APV mini van.
(http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e373/catseyeofthewiccan/1994%20Chevy%20Lumina%20APV/Side2.jpg)
Had over 260k miles when I got it, could hardly go past 70, didn't like going up hills faster than 45 miles an hour, paint was faded, you name it, it didn't function like it should.
I got it for free since a family friend was moving and had no use for it since it just sat outside.
Dad and I got it running and I had some enjoyable times with it.
Since it was a piece of crap, I abused it.
Burn outs, driving through fields, jumping it, drifting in my drive way, spray painted on it, put stickers on it, good times.
I sure didn't get any chicks with it but it got me where I wanted to go and taught me how to drive.
Now I drive a 2005 GMC Envoy with leather seats, Bose system in it, sun roof, the works.
As a kid, you're going to do irresponsible things in your car and you may as well do it in a car that is already on its last legs anyways.
Just my two cents.
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i understand what your saying. with me, not very many kids are like this, the more i value something the better i treat it (cell phone is a good example, last one was like 70 bucks, threw it all around, on the ground, didnt much care for it, current phone is 250....little bit more protective of it than other one. treat it like a phone should be treated.) im just at wits end about deciding. maybve i should pay 2 or 3 grand on a car that is on its final legs.
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Sporty & safe ... enjoy :salute
(http://www.wayodd.com/funny-pictures2/funny-pictures-ferrari-tank-0LM.jpg)
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Get an older Jeep. I like the cherokee style cars. Very simple easy to maintain and they have a very very long lived engine in them (4.0 liter). They are fairly inexpensive and common vehicles.
"Sporty" is not something you need to be dealing with for a first vehicle.
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Safe, good fuel, manual and sporty? Honda and Toyota are good ones.
Both are good in all aspects, except maybe "sporty" unless you buy new. We have a Honda Accord 2000, Accord 1994, Civic 1995 and all are still running strong. My brother and his wife have a Toyota Corolla 2005-ish and Scion 2008 both running great. I honestly think all of these cars look nice, all but two are manual, all of them get good mileage (24-33mpg).
Just look around, it's not hard to find good cars, don't let the year fool you.
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Safe, good fuel, manual and sporty? Honda and Toyota are good ones.
Both are good in all aspects, except maybe "sporty" unless you buy new. We have a Honda Accord 2000, Accord 1994, Civic 1995 and all are still running strong. My brother and his wife have a Toyota Corolla 2005-ish and Scion 2008 both running great. I honestly think all of these cars look nice, all but two are manual, all of them get good mileage (24-33mpg).
Just look around, it's not hard to find good cars, don't let the year fool you.
talked about a civic (like 95ish) and she said no right off bat, talked about toyotas, ahe said SUV right off bat (mom dad and brother all have trucks, why would i need something big like an SUV or a truck too?)
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My first truck was a 2003 Dodge 2500 with a Cummins, 4 inch lift, and an 8 inch straight pipe sticking out behind the cab (later replaced by a headache rack), and also had a TST PowerMax on it. Then I got an 06 F-250, another 4 inch lift, two 5" stacks. After getting tired of buying diesel (which used to be cheaper than gas). I now drive an '03 Ford F-150, 4 door, maroon. Everything is stock on it.
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Forget the truck. If you don't need or want one and your brothers and father agree, you should be able to squeeze that one by easily enough. All it sounds (key word there) like you need to do is find some model that's closest to her criteria, within the cars that you need/want and that you brothers and father also agree on (I don't know you or your family, so that's the best reference from my pov).
There's a lot of older cars that you could find in a reliable enough state.. A while back someone pointed out e.g. the old BMW 2002 as a great driver's car (sounds like what you'd like). But without knowing your budget, there's no way to advise. I don't know about you, but if safety really matters and I had the cash, and what you wanted was something sporty.. and it was a first car (so probably not something with a warranty left on it), I'd find some beater and fix it up myself. Gut it and add a roll cage.
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I always apreciated the fact that the back of my blazer could fold down. :devil
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Hyundai's are good cars and pretty safe.
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Friday nite I won a 1995 Geo Metro in a poker game and wasn't too hip on it because I'm not into little cars. But after getting it home and checking it out, I have to say that this thing is a very basic means of cheap transportation. 3 cyl. 5 speed and 50 miles to the gallon. Under the hood is as simple as it gets and everthing is easy to get to. It would be a great kids starter car.
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I always apreciated the fact that the back of my blazer could fold down. :devil
Word! The joys of having a Tahoe as well :t
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Nissan I have found are good. The bluebird sss, or the skyline. Both don't fair well for back seat passengers, but you'll always have a comfy ride. Nissan I say because they have good engines. Most have cam chains not belts. Just on that subject, if you buy a car from about that time and it's done more than 120,000 K's check when the cam belt was last done and if it hasn't been make it your first priority. The engine just seem to go and go. Strength wise they are reasonably solid also. A skyline I had once got shunted in the rear by a range rover, my car had to have the bumper repaired also the boot got a bit dented. The rangy needed towing. Check who you are buying from also, especially if you are looking for sporty. If the seller is young It's thrashed.
My pick Nissan. I don't even know if you get these vehicles there.
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We don't get Skylines, other than the newest one. You need (in the US at least) to go thru importers and pretty much all models are overpriced, from what Mason seems to describe as his situation. It would also probably be a pita to deal with rare parts, and any associated specialized labor.
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Who's paying?
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People are recommending BMW's for a teenager? LMFAO.
Read the title of the thread next time. It doesn't say "Spoil me".
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talked about a civic (like 95ish) and she said no right off bat, talked about toyotas, ahe said SUV right off bat (mom dad and brother all have trucks, why would i need something big like an SUV or a truck too?)
Just curious, what part about a Honda Civic did see say "No" to? It fits: Safety, Fuel, durability, manual, looks very nice. Not knowing what she is against makes suggesting hard. :)
Is she set on an SUV? If so, I'm sorry, and have fun with that gas bill.
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My first car.....Honda Accord.
Reliable, safe, good on gas, and manual if you want it.
If she is forcing SUV...small SUV such as the Subaru forester or Honda CRV might be good look.
The skylines..are expensive cars and were supposed to come to the US last fall. You can buy a GT-R at the Nissan dealerships but its a $80k car at least. This is definitely not a first car nor should any expensive luxury/sport car.
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90's nissian pick-up you can't go wrong
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Find the cheapest, just barely working, vehicle you can buy.
:aok
Went the same way. My 1st was an 13 year old very small Daihatsu. I was on a small budget, but this lil gem was even way below my limit. And being so old and absolutely nothing to brag about, I didn't mind when it had the first big dents in it.
What a sad day when the engine finally gave in... :(
(http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/2722/daihatsu.jpg)
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. i have a subaru outback 02 with 60k on it, but if you want something "truckish" you could look at the baja, it has an open bed in the back, and comes in manual. i also have a 92 chevy silverado sport with 200k+ on it( we have been using it more since i started driveing and the transmissing doesnt catch until like 4 sec after the clutch is let go), its a 5speed, and i just love manual.look around you can find cars cheap in places, (go to auto auctions) i saw a BMW at a local dealer for 8.5k my dads friend (good haggler) said he could probably get it for like 7k, and they are great reliable cars. if your looking for fuel economy look at VW their turbo diesels get like 50mpg. look around you will find something you like. and when your out you will notice the car you want more often
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trying to get ideas for a car for me. will be a getting my permit mid to late fall (hopefully), and my mom and I can't seem to agree on anything for car. she wants something safe, understandibly, as do i. however she just says safe like theres only a few safe cars to choose from. Ive done a few hours research, talked to my mom,dad and brother, and my brother and dad agree with me, i wont be needing a truck daily, and if i did I could ask them or my mom. anyway, back on topic, Im lookin for somethin a little sporty (a volkswagen jetta, mazda, something like that) with a manual, good fuel economy etc. etc. as I said my mom and I cant seem to see even romotely close to eye to eye on anything, and im out of options. any ideas or help?
volkswagens are a pain in the azz. the thermostats, and waterpumps tend to go around 40-50k. the waterpump is driven by the timing belt, making it an expensive job,.
mazdas....eehh........they;re pretty good, but i personally don't like em.,,,,,,,although mom's protege with the 1.8L DOHC and a 5 speed, is MUCH quicker than she has a clue. i test drove it for the clutch when i put it in for her last year, and that frakkin thing lit 2nd, and chattered 3rd very nicely. nimble too.
for safe, reliable, and less maintenance issues, i'd look at one of the camrys, or one of the hondas. the camry isn't too sporty, but is a nice cruiser, decent mileage, and is no slouch.
the honda civics are quick, nimble, and very reliable too. one of our tow truck drivers has that sleek civic r. i drove it. he told me to go ahead and beat the poop outta it. so i did(and scared the poop outta him too!) wound her up to 4500, sidestepped tyhe clutch, and rolled smoke out of the fenders.....powershifted 2nd, continued...powershifted 3rd, and she caught traction, and went around the bend like she was on rails.
oohh.....btw..my first car was a 67 mustang 289 automatic. since i still lived under my grandparents roof, i had to listen to them......and never really drove it in the rain or snow. they made me take their 71 ford ranch wagon. that had a 390 in it.i sometimes took that in the good weather too. i think they never had a clue how many races i won with that car. :D
good luck dude
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I had a 94 Probe GT that I put alot of miles on over the years. So when my daughter got her DL she wanted one too...her's is a 96 GT. Being it's a mazda engine it's well built and I would steer clear of the auto tannys...they are trouble. Same thing as a Mazda 626 or MX6 as far as drive tran/platform go...just have different bodies. And for some money you can make them fast!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkTgPiOsQlE
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I had a 94 Probe GT that I put alot of miles on over the years. So when my daughter got her DL she wanted one too...her's is a 96 GT. Being it's a mazda engine it's well built and I would steer clear of the auto tannys...they are trouble. Same thing as a Mazda 626 or MX6 as far as drive tran/platform go...just have different bodies. And for some money you can make them fast!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkTgPiOsQlE
My first two cars were an '86 Blazer and a '96 Grand Am. Blazer finally became undriveable (body-wise) at 210,000 miles, and the Grand Am suffered enough damage in a winter driving accident that I took it off the road. Both could probably still be on the road if I'd taken better care of them (or if the person who owned them before me had taken better care of them). The two cars I've had since, the Saturn was a total POS and my Mustang is starting to break as I get close to the end of the warranty coverage. Go figure.
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A good point to try to press is that safety is not enhanced by a weak engine.
A used 6-cyl accord would make a great first car. Plenty of power for a new driver, reliable, good safety statistics. Roomy enough to drive around a few friends, good visibility out of it. And if you have spare money, it's easy to buy things to modify an accord to match your tastes.
That said, I learned on a mid-size station wagon with a powerful V8 engine, so very early on I learned to appreciate and respect powerful vehicles. My next car was a grossly underpowered but reliable and inexpensive datsun 210. My next car after those two was a trans-am, after I had a regular paycheck for 4 years and knew I was guaranteed able to pay for it ahead of the loan schedule.
So for a first car...
1. Powerful enough engine to get the car moving. Underpowered is just as "unsafe" as overpowered.
2. Reliability (honda, in my experience, is great for reliability).
3. Safe. Medium sized sedans are about as safe as they get in a "normal" car. SUVs... I'd avoid them because if you make a mistake driving an SUV, you'll probably live but you will kill everything within 2 counties and that's a tough thing to live with for the rest of your life even if it wasn't 100% your fault.
4. Good for driving around friends. Again, the accord is great for this...
5. Can be easily modified if you have some spare cash. Lots of people modify accords, so there should be lots of options at reasonable prices.
6. I prefer and highly recommend learning in a rear-wheel drive car, but I just don't know of many reasonably priced reliable rear wheel drive sedans out there. The safety and reliability of a V6 accord pretty much trumps the rear wheel drive, at least for a first car, in my opinion.
After you drive that a while, get a real car, like a used V8 camaro or mustang :)
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I said BMW 2002 specifically, not any BMW. From what I saw, it's cheap and a good RWD driver's car. I don't know about the realities of its maintenance.
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I said BMW 2002 specifically, not any BMW. From what I saw, it's cheap and a good RWD driver's car. I don't know about the realities of its maintenance.
most any bmw above 2000 is very expensive to fix. anything.
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Kind of an obscure car, but the SAAB 900SE or the 9-3 would make a good car. They have the eurpoean (read BMW) styling and ride type, and tons of luxury features, and can be found relatively inexpensively for an older model.
I never considered them until my recent purchase of a 2009 Saab Aero Convertible as my daily driver car. GREAT little car! and nice looking too.
Then my cousin bought a 95 SAAB 900SE ragtop as his 1st car. VERY nice as well. runs great, handles good, has lots of luxury type features, and has to be one of the most solid ragtops ive ever driven. With the top up, you could swear you were in a hardtop.
(Plus, SAAB makes planes too, so it has to be good!) :aok
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Kind of an obscure car, but the SAAB 900SE or the 9-3 would make a good car. They have the eurpoean (read BMW) styling and ride type, and tons of luxury features, and can be found relatively inexpensively for an older model.
I never considered them until my recent purchase of a 2009 Saab Aero Convertible as my daily driver car. GREAT little car! and nice looking too.
Then my cousin bought a 95 SAAB 900SE ragtop as his 1st car. VERY nice as well. runs great, handles good, has lots of luxury type features, and has to be one of the most solid ragtops ive ever driven. With the top up, you could swear you were in a hardtop.
(Plus, SAAB makes planes too, so it has to be good!) :aok
i've yet to meet a customer that's happy with their saab
our favorite saying when we see one pulling in the parking lot?
eehh....it's just another saab(sob) story.
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didn't read much of the posts in here because I don't really care...
like moot mentioned. bmw 2002's are pretty fun, and classy. that's model 2002, not the year. twits. Though they are getting old, which means they break down more, and are harder to find parts for. my friend has one, it's really fun to drive, and the ladies love it.
I grew up on VW's. They're actually easy as hell to maintain and very good to learn basic mechanics on. Air cooled or Water cooled models... German engineering is pretty straight forward, and you can do a fair amount of tweaking to make it speedy (more than it already is). I bought a 84 jetta gli for $180, put a few hundred into it and some hours... ended up with a sweet little rally car that I sold for $1k after a couple years of use. My friend has a rabbit, three years older, that he just pumped up to 240hp....in a shell that weighs 1400#'s... vwvortex.com
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Really? hrm.. Well, I like mine, and so far the cousin likes his.. *shrug*
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Thanks Cap.. Maybe it could be worth it if Mason has friends or family in the business.
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Thanks Cap.. Maybe it could be worth it if Mason has friends or family in the business.
possibly.........but i misunderstood..i thought you meant model year 2002.
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No.. the BMW "2002". Look it up.. Older car but very good driver's tool :)
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Get something that is produced locally and about 10 years old.
My car is produced locally and is 15 years old.... It has been f - king fantastic... Reliable... cheap to fix on the odd occasion that 'stuff happens' and plenty of power.
I am selling it at the end of the year and upgrading to a Ford B Series XR8 (2005ish model), after owning my current car for 4 years.
I have loved it since I bought it and am only selling it because it's time to upgrade/sell before it loses all value.
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Jeep wrangler. Its easy to work on and it'll track you the way around a motor. It also doubles as a convertable. When you want to go out with just your gf you take the back seat out so there's no room for passengers.
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trying to get ideas for a car for me. will be a getting my permit mid to late fall (hopefully), and my mom and I can't seem to agree on anything for car. she wants something safe, understandibly, as do i. however she just says safe like theres only a few safe cars to choose from. Ive done a few hours research, talked to my mom,dad and brother, and my brother and dad agree with me, i wont be needing a truck daily, and if i did I could ask them or my mom. anyway, back on topic, Im lookin for somethin a little sporty (a volkswagen jetta, mazda, something like that) with a manual, good fuel economy etc. etc. as I said my mom and I cant seem to see even romotely close to eye to eye on anything, and im out of options. any ideas or help?
Any Honda Prelude from 84 up fits that category(Sport with manual transmission that has great fuel economy)..
Good idea for Volkswagen would be a Scirocco or a Corrado.. Corradoes may be a bit expensive... Any Jetta after 86 is made in Mexico IIRC.. I wouldn't bother with those...
Mazda has some good offerings.... Around 90's, they joined up with Ford and quality went down the tubes... They were just Ford cards with Mazda bodies... Junk if you ask me...
Don't see many on the road these days...
BMW's and cars of these nature are inherently expensive to fix.... While being good cards(Germans make good stuff!!), parts cost money and the guys who fix them usually
charge more..
The big question is, what are you allowed to spend?? You may be surprised to find a lot of these cars except for the late 80's early 90's models will still cost quite a bit...
It's not unheard of to see something like a 91 Honda Accord go for $6000.00 if it's kept up well...
If I were you, I'd find the cheapest sh*tbox I could, drive the hell out of it, and get another one a few months.... $500.00 cars a plentiful and are much more fun to drive in more ways
than you can possibly imagine... Especially for being your first car... It will more than likely get dents, scratches, etc. and I'm not referring to your driving potential.. I'm referring
to all the other kids around you who have cars... You're going to drive the thing to school I assume... You may be responsible as well as pay attention while driving.. Other kids
aren't so disciplined... Something to think about...
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While there were a large amount of VW's made in Mexico, Wolfsburg, Germany was still producing them too. The german ones have a badge with the wolfsburg symbol on it on the front drivers side. The little door card also says where it was made. You do want to avoid the Mexican ones when possible.
Corrado's and Scirrocos are sweet, but a little rare since they were only produced for x years. A corrado or a jetta from the mid 90s will fit all of your criteria. Golf too, if your mom doesn't freak out that you're driving a smaller car. Stay away from the Cabrio's...especially the automatic ones.
A honda or toyota is going to be cheaper and more reliable in the long run though. Even if it already has 200kmiles on it. The old vw's can hit 300k, but by then they've become money pits and a hobby more than a daily driver.
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Get this, it is 100% safe and doesnt take damage if your in a wreck so your insurance company will love ya!
(http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/batmobile-resize.jpg)
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Get an older Jeep. I like the cherokee style cars. Very simple easy to maintain and they have a very very long lived engine in them (4.0 liter). They are fairly inexpensive and common vehicles.
"Sporty" is not something you need to be dealing with for a first vehicle.
I agree with this. My first car was a 95 Jeep Cherokee, got me out of several pickles (especially during winter in bad weather). You will get cheap (considering you're a boy 16-18 years old) insurance and your parents will love that. It is very safe, and more useful than a sportier looking car. I now have a small fuel efficient car and miss my jeep when I want to do something that requires going off of paved roads and requires extra space (kayaking, snowboarding, etc).
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Ok. I know the BMW 2002 was mentioned as such. But realize not only will they be "pricey", but wtf are you gonna do when you lose a water pump, etc? You're paying up the arse for anything and that is IF you can find a reliable "parts source" here in the US.
2000 Escort, late 90's Saturn (nothing older than a 98), or Mid 90's-2001 Jeep Cherokee.
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not disagreeing
but germanautoparts.com is great for vw's, bmw's, Mercedes...
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Ok. I know the BMW 2002 was mentioned as such. But realize not only will they be "pricey", but wtf are you gonna do when you lose a water pump, etc? You're paying up the arse for anything and that is IF you can find a reliable "parts source" here in the US.
2000 Escort, late 90's Saturn (nothing older than a 98), or Mid 90's-2001 Jeep Cherokee.
IOW he needs to do the homework.. It's not a sure thing that it's good or bad choice.
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not disagreeing
but germanautoparts.com is great for vw's, bmw's, Mercedes...
HAVE A CUSTOMER with a 99 beetle. 1.8L turbo. the waterpump took a dump. same old VW bs. the impeller came off, just like they all do.
only REAL problem though, was that this person drove it 10 miles whileit was over heating. it cost him a cylinder head.
i let him get his own parts(which i rarely do). he got them at "autohaus" i think it was called. they're in arizona.
be advised.....if you look at one of the lower end audis, they share the same engines as the vw's. they all suck. they have problems that they shouldn't have at times that they shouldn't have them.
if you have to have a european car, then bmw is the ticket. other than that, stick to honda or toyota.
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are those vws made in mexico? just that ive owned a bunch of vws and they have all been faultlessly reliable. '78 Scirocco 1.6 - brilliant car although used plenty of oil by 100,000 (mostly down to lack of a 5th gear :rolleyes:), Mark I Golf 1.6 no problems, Mark II Golf 1.6 no problems, Mark IV GTi (2-point-slow) - previous owner never checked the oil and ignored the warning light "because it always went out eventually" so it needed a head skim but since then no problems. must be over 150,000m in total and no breakdowns :aok
how about a Ford Focus? a 2000ish 1.8 Zetec is way better than it has a right to be (not sure what they call them stateside)
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are those vws made in mexico? just that ive owned a bunch of vws and they have all been faultlessly reliable. '78 Scirocco 1.6 - brilliant car although used plenty of oil by 100,000 (mostly down to lack of a 5th gear :rolleyes:), Mark I Golf 1.6 no problems, Mark II Golf 1.6 no problems, Mark IV GTi (2-point-slow) - previous owner never checked the oil and ignored the warning light "because it always went out eventually" so it needed a head skim but since then no problems. must be over 150,000m in total and no breakdowns :aok
how about a Ford Focus? a 2000ish 1.8 Zetec is way better than it has a right to be (not sure what they call them stateside)
yaknow......i don't know if they were mexican built or not. in one years time at the last shop i worked at before getting my own shop, i did 3 water pumps, and 2 thermostats. all on different cars. THE water pumps were in the ballpark of 50k miles. i've since then found out that this is very common on these engines, as the engineers in all of their infinite wisdom, chose to use plastic impeller installed on a knurled shaft. eventually, they wear, and although the bearings and such in the pump are fine, the impeller doesn't spin.
the thermostats, i've found to be common too, but have yet to pin it to an exact cause.
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Ive got a 1990 caddilac fleetwood for sale .. You get prestige along with safe! only 2 grand !
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Ive got a 1990 caddilac fleetwood for sale .. You get prestige along with safe! only 2 grand !
that still have the ht4100 in it?
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are those vws made in mexico? just that ive owned a bunch of vws and they have all been faultlessly reliable.
All sorts of electrical problems on the 02 Passat and 02 Jetta estate that some family of mine owned.
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I know that you have almost entirely ruled out a truck but I bought an '02 dodge dakota with 120k miles for 4k and I have been happy as a pig in mud since I've gotten it. got the 3.9 v6 in it, plenty of oomph, you can beat it to hell, and its just a fun drive. the engine is roomy and easy to work on. If you haven't already totally ruled out a pickup keep one of these little jems in mind.
Disclaimer: I may be biased! it was and still is my first vehicle, and I love it to death
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i understand what your saying. with me, not very many kids are like this, the more i value something the better i treat it (cell phone is a good example, last one was like 70 bucks, threw it all around, on the ground, didnt much care for it, current phone is 250....little bit more protective of it than other one. treat it like a phone should be treated.) im just at wits end about deciding. maybve i should pay 2 or 3 grand on a car that is on its final legs.
mason i see what you are saying here, but the idea behind getting something that is cheap, reliable, and safe is to provide the driving experience without worrying about whether of not yu put that big dent in the trunk/hatch or busted out the grill.
I also suggest the samething to anyone looking for their first car. Mine was a 1971 Ford F100 pickup (wish I still had it now) which I paid for with a paper route and did a little work to get it on the road. I wrecked several cars, unfortunately the one that I totalled was a nice car in nearly mint condition. I still wish I had waited a little longer to get a "nice" car and acquired the driving experience first.
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mason i see what you are saying here, but the idea behind getting something that is cheap, reliable, and safe is to provide the driving experience without worrying about whether of not yu put that big dent in the trunk/hatch or busted out the grill.
I also suggest the samething to anyone looking for their first car. Mine was a 1971 Ford F100 pickup (wish I still had it now) which I paid for with a paper route and did a little work to get it on the road. I wrecked several cars, unfortunately the one that I totalled was a nice car in nearly mint condition. I still wish I had waited a little longer to get a "nice" car and acquired the driving experience first.
see..the thing with pickups is that they handle like poop in any bad weather. 25 years ago, i had my first pickup...a 69 chevy c-10. mannnn was that thing fun in the snow...350 2wd, 3 speed on the floor. i used to go into empty parking lots, back roads with nothign parked along the sides, and just throw that old POS around.
you kind of can't get away with that these days though.
i still think for everything he's wanting, a honda civic, or a toyota camry will fit the bill very nicely.
i had a customer..had 3 camrys in the family. the lowest mileage one was just over 300k. the highest one was about 370k or so. there's a guy that comes in to get gas, has 375 on his 2000 camry.
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see..the thing with pickups is that they handle like poop in any bad weather. 25 years ago, i had my first pickup...a 69 chevy c-10. mannnn was that thing fun in the snow...350 2wd, 3 speed on the floor. i used to go into empty parking lots, back roads with nothign parked along the sides, and just throw that old POS around.
you kind of can't get away with that these days though.
i still think for everything he's wanting, a honda civic, or a toyota camry will fit the bill very nicely.
i had a customer..had 3 camrys in the family. the lowest mileage one was just over 300k. the highest one was about 370k or so. there's a guy that comes in to get gas, has 375 on his 2000 camry.
i am not suggesting that he get a truck just that whatever he gets it should not be something that he loves very much. I was simply stating that mine was a truck but it was an old beater that i would care very much if it got a few dents in it.
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We'll be looking for a starter car for our oldest.
My criteria in the search:
#1: paid in full
#2: manual transmission
#3: the kid gets to choose the one he prefers from the choices we find meeting #1 & #2
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We'll be looking for a starter car for our oldest.
My criteria in the search:
#1: paid in full
#2: manual transmission
#3: the kid gets to choose the one he prefers from the choices we find meeting #1 & #2
paid in full by who? :D
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Oh, we don't mind buying it for him. He's got to pay for the insurance though. :) Heck, with 3 sons, I'm getting a headache just THINKING about insurance increases.
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Oh, we don't mind buying it for him. He's got to pay for the insurance though. :) Heck, with 3 sons, I'm getting a headache just THINKING about insurance increases.
ooooooooo.........well, depending on just what they want.....i stick with my rec for the honda or toyota.
if they want an american car, and somewhat fast, then a mustang or camaro.......but that'll obliterate your insurance.
hell...stick to the honda or toyota. decent power, reliable, safe, and can probably save ya on insurance.
on the other hand, if my mom was telling me that.....i'd STILL want a mustang. :rofl
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that still have the ht4100 in it?
yes it does ! and the original radar detector factory installed
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yes it does ! and the original radar detector factory installed
icccc......
ht4100 was a junk motor. never liked them. too many things went wrong with them. saw a lot that spent more time in my bay than in the owners driveway.
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Thanks for the tip CAP =)
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If you gave a budget, that would help...
As others have stated, you could get a safe, reliable Toyota or Honda for cheap. Camrys and Accords both run 200,000 miles + .
Also, no matter how nice and responsible of a young man you are, you WILL dent and scratch and possibly smash that car. It's just going to happen. Good intentions are no replacement for experience. Go with something cheap. You can get something nicer in a few years when you won't have to heed your parents' requirements, anyway.
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HAVE A CUSTOMER with a 99 beetle. 1.8L turbo. the waterpump took a dump. same old VW bs. the impeller came off, just like they all do.
only REAL problem though, was that this person drove it 10 miles whileit was over heating. it cost him a cylinder head.
i let him get his own parts(which i rarely do). he got them at "autohaus" i think it was called. they're in arizona.
be advised.....if you look at one of the lower end audis, they share the same engines as the vw's. they all suck. they have problems that they shouldn't have at times that they shouldn't have them.
if you have to have a european car, then bmw is the ticket. other than that, stick to honda or toyota.
I'm currently on my fifth Volkswagen. The first three were bought in Europe and were faultless. The fourth was a 2003 MkIV Gti bought for my wife when we moved to the States with the same 1.8 Turbo. With 55K on the clock - the impeller went. Luckily I was driving at the time and noticed the temp going through the roof. Had Mrs Wooley been driving, we'd have been after a new cylinder head as well. As it was, it still cost me over $1K to fix on a car 3 and a half year old.
The fifth VW is an EOS. Its built in Germany and has been (knock wood), rock solid.
In short, the only one I've had problems with was the only one not built in Germany. In fairness, both BMW and Mercedes have had quality problems with their North American built vehicles as well. Just ask anyone who owned the Alabama built first-gen M-Class Merc.
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I'm currently on my fifth Volkswagen. The first three were bought in Europe and were faultless. The fourth was a 2003 MkIV Gti bought for my wife when we moved to the States with the same 1.8 Turbo. With 55K on the clock - the impeller went. Luckily I was driving at the time and noticed the temp going through the roof. Had Mrs Wooley been driving, we'd have been after a new cylinder head as well. As it was, it still cost me over $1K to fix on a car 3 and a half year old.
The fifth VW is an EOS. Its built in Germany and has been (knock wood), rock solid.
In short, the only one I've had problems with was the only one not built in Germany. In fairness, both BMW and Mercedes have had quality problems with their North American built vehicles as well. Just ask anyone who owned the Alabama built first-gen M-Class Merc.
i had asked beetl1 over on fw about the audis. everyone seems to say the same about them. it seems that the ones generally sold here are built to a lesser standard.
i imagine you did the timing belt, and tensioner along with the pump?
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icccc......
ht4100 was a junk motor. never liked them. too many things went wrong with them. saw a lot that spent more time in my bay than in the owners driveway.
Not sure what the HT means here but if it's a 90 front drive Fleetwood, it should have the 4.5L, not a 4.1L... Last year of the 4.1L was 87 I believe. And no matter which you have, you can always long block a 91-93 4.9L in place of either of those, and they are a dime a dozen. And Mason, you cant go wrong with a 94 up Accord or 96 up Civic with a 5spd
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talked about a civic (like 95ish) and she said no right off bat, talked about toyotas, ahe said SUV right off bat (mom dad and brother all have trucks, why would i need something big like an SUV or a truck too?)
Oh geez, you have my sympathy, your mom is one of those "bigger is safer" people. Go with your civic man, and just drive with awareness all teh time. Every other day here in LA I'm dodging incompitent SUV, pickup and semi drivers in my '97 civic (previously a '87 accord (good car), a '94 ford aerostar (it handled like a boat, and while solid on the inside for I guess family trips, it's outside and powerplant weren't the most reliable/solid) and a '84 civic (for a hooptie, it was a damn good hooptie. safety wise: solid car, but still was very small... but it did kick-ass being able to drive under half the pay-for-parking gate arms though :P )) .
If I wasn't an aware driver driving a light (but solidly built) and nimble car I would have an accident record as long as my arm. But thankfuly, I've only been in one accident my whole life (got rear ended by a 16-yo talking on her cell phone while driving her mommy's brand spanking-new lexus SUV :furious )... and in the end, the SUV lost big time to my dinky '97 civic. Her driver bags went off and her front end got smushed up enough to start dropping the engine... I could drive home, and my car was only in the shop for three days to get the trunk lid, rear bumper and a rear quarter panel replaced. No damage to my frame thankfuly. She did hit me hard enough though to grind a gear in my car seat which forced it to collapse during the accident though... and no frame damage (I looked myself I couldn't believe it) and after i yanked my rear bumper out of the rear wheel-well I was good to drive home.
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You will tear the clutch out of a new VW jetta. They can be a real pain in the arse to get moving some times.
also, some are made in mexico, and some germany. The wolfsberg edition vw are made in germany for sure.
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My first car was a 1998 Ford Contour
My parents didnt get it for me. I saved every penny I made from work and got it when I had more then enough for a down payment and cost of full coverage insurance. My mother only had one car so I had to walk to/from work (about 35 minute walk.) I didnt have enough to pay it off, so it went on a 60 month contract from the local ford dealer. (got it in 2000).
I didnt abuse it or do any stupid careless stunts in it. I used my hard earned money to get it and I was going to treat it with care and respect.
I have a paid in full truck now, it never gets mistreated or abused either.
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I know a lot of people will laugh but:
the Mazda Miata (its called the Roadster here)
reasons:
its got one of the best stick/peddal positions in the world for any car, so its great to learn to drive maual.
its got very little power, but you learn to use the full range of gears, engine and performance
its cheap, and can easily be modded to do a lot more
its not a turbo-charged engine - so you don't have to learn about the pitfalls of 'fake' power
its a convertable so its a joy to drive
its a proper roadster, so its actually a lot of fun to drive
it has good resale value for a car. . .which is actually not saying much
I raced a Miata here in Japan 5 years ago in Rokko, it had some changes, a roll cage, fatter tires, totally changed exaust and air-intake, nice racing wheel, bucket seats and a few ither goodies - it was a good deal of fun because I could really push the car and learned its limits quickly. it was good to learn heal&toe tricks and other 'basic' race stuff. . . I then sold that and changed to the S2000 which is also a great car and I still drive the s2000 (it needs a lot of weight loss. . .) but I remember my Miata with fond memories. It died on the 'Uji Line' a race area with a cliff on one side and a mountain wall on the other. . .busted my head open, but the car was a gonner.
thats my suggestion.
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Not sure what the HT means here but if it's a 90 front drive Fleetwood, it should have the 4.5L, not a 4.1L... Last year of the 4.1L was 87 I believe. And no matter which you have, you can always long block a 91-93 4.9L in place of either of those, and they are a dime a dozen. And Mason, you cant go wrong with a 94 up Accord or 96 up Civic with a 5spd
"High Technology 4.1L"
They are prone to aluminum oil pump failures, intake manifold gasket failures, cam bearing displacement, weak aluminum block castings and bolts pulling the aluminum threads from the block. My buddy had two Cadillacs that had all of these between two engines.
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(http://www.classiccarsforsale.co.uk/auctionimages/2008-05-25-COYS-232.JPG)
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ah yes the DeTomaso Pantera - an ideal first car :aok
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I saw a post (didnt read them all) that asked who would buyuing, and a few posts asking my price range. I would be buying, and lookin to spend at most no more than 10 or 11k. I saw i think it was Moot who asked about the whole SUV question, something to the effect of "it sounds like Mom wants you to buy an suv, and you want something sporty, maybe a Honda CRV"; dont get me wrong moot, but im not a fan of sedan / suv mix. I saw another post about nissans. I like nissan, nice lookin little cars, for the most part sporty (and though i havnt done my research) I feel they're safer than not. on the first page i saw banshee's post about his Fords, and well, I love fords. but a 2000 250,6 speed 7.3 4" exhasut K&N air filter i may be getting later on after my dad gets a smaller truck or kicks the bucket (hopin not for another 30+ he kicks) id sell my car i had at the time. Saw a post by Spikes about Hyndais, same thing as a nissan I feel, nice lookin, sporty cars and I feel safe. BMW's ive seen a few posts about I dont want...yet. gettin a couple porsches and BM'rs when my aunt and uncle kick, not for a while will they be though. these are some thoughts that come to mind now, any others ill make another post, maybe finish reading the last 2 pages later.
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ah yes the DeTomaso Pantera - an ideal first car :aok
:rofl :rofl my brother was hooked on em for a while (before he ever thought about getting a car though...thank god) Balance, you said you have a 2000 dakota, so does my brother, and his is all colors of the rainbow, 2 accidents in it, totaled his '99 toyota 4runner, got his license supended in the 4runner, got a citation for speeding in his dakota he has now...and the list goes on. Someone had mentioned that SUV's / truck's suck in the snow, and thats when my brother got his 3 accidents...in the snow.
I know a lot of people will laugh but:
the Mazda Miata (its called the Roadster here)
reasons:
its got one of the best stick/peddal positions in the world for any car, so its great to learn to drive maual.
its got very little power, but you learn to use the full range of gears, engine and performance
its cheap, and can easily be modded to do a lot more
its not a turbo-charged engine - so you don't have to learn about the pitfalls of 'fake' power
its a convertable so its a joy to drive
its a proper roadster, so its actually a lot of fun to drive
it has good resale value for a car. . .which is actually not saying much
I raced a Miata here in Japan 5 years ago in Rokko, it had some changes, a roll cage, fatter tires, totally changed exaust and air-intake, nice racing wheel, bucket seats and a few ither goodies - it was a good deal of fun because I could really push the car and learned its limits quickly. it was good to learn heal&toe tricks and other 'basic' race stuff. . . I then sold that and changed to the S2000 which is also a great car and I still drive the s2000 (it needs a lot of weight loss. . .) but I remember my Miata with fond memories. It died on the 'Uji Line' a race area with a cliff on one side and a mountain wall on the other. . .busted my head open, but the car was a gonner.
thats my suggestion.
forgot about these miatas. might try running it by my mom quickly tonight.
Babylonian, i plan on going with what i want, and not with my moms choice of an suv, your 1st sentence made me chuckle.
sorry for double post