Best beater for about 1000?

[Martin]

I'm thinking of getting something that'll only be used for about 6 months and will need to last 10000-15000km. AC and high MPG would be awesome.

Mid-90s civics seem to be a good match, is there anything else I should look into?

 

[Arkaign]

Civic not bad, keep your mind open, do CL searches in the ~$1k range, and just go example by example. There is not a predictable market for $1k vehicles, they vary widely.

That said :

Ranger/S10 4-cylinders
Civic/Corolla/Tercel
Volvo 240
'90s Cop cars (Caprice/Crown Vic)
Box Vans (lots of cheap/reliable ones out there, if you don't mind looking like a child abductor / speaker salesman)

If your goal is cheap reliable transportation, you might have to take something that isn't all that fuel efficient, depending on what's available.

It can also be advantageous to get something that's got some body damage, as generally that lowers prices dramatically. Again, it's just an issue of looking at the vehicle for pure practicality purposes. I know a guy who bought an '01 Maxima SE for $1,200, it had 70k miles on it and ran perfectly, but had been hit high on the RR quarter panel, smashing it in a couple inches and popping the trunk out of whack enough that it wouldn't close properly (rain gets in it, etc). Makes a really good cheap nice DD for him, and he doesn't worry about the cosmetic problem or the lack of a usable trunk, he'll worry about that when his work picks up and he can afford a car.

 

[exar333]

Low MPG..??

Maybe an old V8 Camaro from the early 80's?

 

[ViviTheMage]

iono, grand am/grand prix? Late 90s...

 

[Martin]

Originally posted by: ExarKun333
Low MPG..??

Maybe an old V8 Camaro from the early 80's?

Sorry, I think in L/100km. What I need is high MPG, low L/100km

 

[thedarkwolf]

late 90s Ford escort zx2

I have a dodge caravan that I paid $800 for 8 years ago. Very handy vehicle to have around.

 

[Dr. Detroit]

Buick, Oldsmobile, Chevy midsize cars- if you can find one with the 3.1L V6 - they are pretty bulletproof and offer 23-27mpg.


Cutlass, Regal, Lumina

 

[CrackRabbit]

Originally posted by: Fmr12B
Buick, Oldsmobile, Chevy midsize cars- if you can find one with the 3.1L V6 - they are pretty bulletproof and offer 23-27mpg.


Cutlass, Regal, Lumina

He means 3.8ltr v6. The 3.1 had numerous issues with the intake manifold gaskets.

 

[exdeath]

Late 80's to mid 90's Camry with the 2.0 or 2.2L, especially if you can find one with a 5 spd. Gutless and anonymous but reliable as a fork.

 

[RU482]

Originally posted by: CrackRabbit

Originally posted by: Fmr12B
Buick, Oldsmobile, Chevy midsize cars- if you can find one with the 3.1L V6 - they are pretty bulletproof and offer 23-27mpg.


Cutlass, Regal, Lumina

He means 3.8ltr v6. The 3.1 had numerous issues with the intake manifold gaskets.

Err, 3800 also had numerous issues with Upper intake manifold

 

[SparkyJJO]

Cavalier? Boring car, but heck, there's a million and one of them out there.

And for what its worth, neither I nor my friend have had any issues with our 3800 series upper intake manifolds. His has 130k miles, mine has 87k. I'd like to see some proof of claims of these intake issues on the 3.1/3.4/3.8/whatever may be the subject of attack.

 

[Bignate603]

In that price range it's hard to recommend a particular kind of car. It's going to be completely hit or miss on what you'll see in that price range that is worth buying. Just keep on checking Craig's list to see what's available.

 

[RU482]

Originally posted by: SparkyJJO
Cavalier? Boring car, but heck, there's a million and one of them out there.

And for what its worth, neither I nor my friend have had any issues with our 3800 series upper intake manifolds. His has 130k miles, mine has 87k. I'd like to see some proof of claims of these intake issues on the 3.1/3.4/3.8/whatever may be the subject of attack.

There are class action lawsuits out there for the 3100/3400 V6 premature failures. THe engine was around since ~94, and they didn't correct the gasket until mid 03 in production.

Go to automotive forums, and go through the threads of any vehicle (LeSabre, Bonneville, ect) with the 3800. Better yet, search for LIM or UIM on those forums. It's a big problem with series II 3800s. Tell tale signs are coolant loss, eventually followed by hydrolock - cylinders filled with coolant.

Then theres the dex-cool theories, usually due to air getting into the coolant stream.

 

[DarkThinker]

If I had $ 1000 to get a beater with...I would probably hunt around for a Civic DX 89-91 Hatch that would make for an awesome beater good on gas as well.
But they would be hard to find these days for a good price I guess...

I would otherwise hit autotrader.com set $1000 as the cap price pick the criteria I have in mind and browse away for nearby listings.

 

[PM650]

Volvo 740, engine will probably last 500k, trans isn't too bad either. I think I paid $1200 for mine, everything works on it (still) 5 years & 35k miles later. Power windows/locks, heated seats & cruise. Only real work I've had to do on it is timing belt, crank position sensor, and new rear exhaust. Gets about 25mpg highway, AC works quite adequately with r134a, easy to work on.

 

[exar333]

LOL, I had a 1992 Pontiac Sunbird that had these head gasket issues (3100 engine)...other than that, the engine ran great and I drove it into the ground with original tranny (AT) until it hit 160k. Great car for $4,000 when I bought it in 1998 and had it for 7 years! 🙂

I just bought a 1989 Prelude for $700 as a second car "beater" and it has been awesome. The car is pretty decent on gas, and runs like a champ. It is just under 200k miles, with a new clutch installed around 140k (the previous owner). Great bargain, and fun to drive.