• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

$2000 - how much of a car will that buy?

Look for a 93'ish Pontiac Grand Am. Should be able to pick one up for that price with under 100k miles.

If the head gasket hasn't been replaced yet, do it. Other than that, they are a pretty decent buy for the money.

Other alternative would be a 95'ish Ford Escort. Excellent reliability and cheap ass repairs.
 
You'll get 4 aluminum rims ($200), a decent stereo system w/cd changer and subwoofer ($600), onstar ($1000), and 1/20 of an engine (200)

~fat
 


<< OK.
How about Chevrolet Caprice? >>



my 86 parisienne (which is basically a caprice with a few body changes/badges) is about to hit 200k, and very little trouble, especially for a "domestic" 😀
 
I have seen Dodge/Plymouth Neons in that range, around '95-'97 in year with 60k miles or less. I am planning on getting one myself for a work car.
 
you can get a 88-91 Civic for that price easy.
fairly reliable cars, cheap engines to replace if you can do that 🙂
 
i bought my 90 plymouth horizon for that, about 5 years and 80k miles ago. If you're not in a hurry, you can find a cream puff that hasn't been abused.
 
I got a 1989 Pontiac Lemans for $900.

74hp 1200cc 4cyl engine
Seats 4 comfortably (really...I was quite surprised)
Hauls a ton if you flip down the back seat.

Empty does 0-60 in about 8 seconds
With 4 passengers & full trunk takes about 30 seconds to do 0-60

Handles the best of any vehicle I've ever tried in the snow (excluding our tractor🙂).
 
man you guys are mean.. this guy probably is seriously looking for a car and that's all he can afford. not everyone here is rich and can afford 20k+ cars.
 
Saab 900's around 1984-88 can be found for less than $2000.. I got my '86 for $800 and I've had no serious problems with it for the 1.5 years I've owned it.. they are built like a tank and fun to drive, 2 Liter Inline 4, fold down rear seat area that'll hold as much as a small truck even with the hatch closed, very fun little cars but they have a hate it or love it kind of style.. overall I've loved every minute of owning mine but then again it is my first car.. just giving you a suggestion..
 
Contrary to popular belief, $2,000 can get you a lot of car if you do your homework. I don't think you can narrow your question down to 'best brand/model in range'. There are probably really good $2,000 cars in all brands and models, trick is to find them.
I probably would go with something domestic if you want 'cheap' (hehe), but seriously 'easy-to-fix', american popular cars that every mechanic is familair with.

$2,000 you are probably looking at something w/high miles (95,000+) - I would make sure the car you choose has had a lot of work done on it already, because at those miles you want to make sure that timing belts/chains have been replaced, struts suspension are good/replaced, exhaust and brakes are usually in need of replacement, etc. - just some of the things off the top of my hand.

-Vtrider
 
You mentioned a caprice and yes you probably can pick up an older one in good shape for that. You might also look at Ford crown vics, lincoln town cars, dodge diplomats, and plymouth furys. You can find late 80s models of all of those for under $2k and if you look you might even be able to find an old lady car with real low miles on it. If you want something smaller and FWD you might look for 2.2l or 2.5l powered chryslers from the late 80s-early 90s. Those things are dirt cheap, are pretty reliable, and cheap to buy parts for.

I am looking for a 88-89 dodge daytona shelby 2.2l turbo myself 🙂
 


<< You mentioned a caprice and yes you probably can pick up an older one in good shape for that. You might also look at Ford crown vics, lincoln town cars, dodge diplomats, and plymouth furys. You can find late 80s models of all of those for under $2k and if you look you might even be able to find an old lady car with real low miles on it. If you want something smaller and FWD you might look for 2.2l powered chryslers from the late 80s-early 90s. Those things are dirt cheap, are pretty reliable, and cheap to buy parts for.

I am looking for a 88-89 dodge daytona shelby 2.2l turbo myself 🙂 >>



Just as a side note on the caprice & crown vic. I have known several people (10+) who have owned one of those cars, and none of them were able to get their car to last 100k+ miles without it needing SERIOUS work (like $3000+ repairs). A $2000 car can be a great investment, if it doesn't cost you another $2000 in repairs.
 
  • There's a very good reason your local COPs use these cars... they're tanks! 😛

Edit: ...I have known several people (10+) who have owned one of those cars, and none of them were able to get their car to last 100k+...

What a forking crock of BS! I've personally owned a '78 Grand Marquis, '77 Grand Marquis, '78 Town Car, '77 Town Car and known a few folks with later models that had so few problems, they bought another! My '77 was purchased in '82 and I'm still driving it! All my cars are driven way past 100K. They are VERY easy to repair and parts are dirt cheap. That's if you can break 'em in the first place!

I can't speak for GM, but these police cruiser platforms in Ford's camp are rugged and dependable... GUARANTEED!
 
I find it hard to believe you can do $3000 worth of damage to a crown vic or caprice without wrecking it. You could completely replace the entire engine, trans, and most of the gizmos attached to both and still come in under $3k.

Thanks for the backup Ornery 🙂

BTW my $ numbers wouldn't work for the 4.6l vics. I am sure the 4.6l cost a bit more than a reman 302 but since the 4.6l in my dad's 96 t-bird just hit 265k miles with only minor problems I think the 4.6l is an ok engine.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top