Car runs great, but looks bad

[waggy]

i really do not care what the car i drive looks like. its just a tool to get me from point A to point B.

i have baught one new car and will never agian. i prefer to buy a car that is 2-3 years old and drive it into the ground.

 

[Black88GTA]

Originally posted by: Lonyo
I bought my car pre-dented.
Saved me some money, and some worry, if I dent it then it just adds to what's there already, no biggie.

Same. My DD is an 89 Prelude with existing dents & scratches - almost no rust though. I've had to do some relatively minor mechanical work, but haven't touched the body. I paid $600 for it. The AC doesn't work and I think it'll need a trans soon.

I've never really been an "image car" person, but it's kind of embarrassing when none of your (female) co-workers ever want you to drive to lunch because they don't want to ride in your POS and sweat to death because there's no AC. For that, and other reasons, I think I'll be buying a much nicer car in the very near future - probably within the next couple of weeks.

 

[gotsmack]

Keep the car, only get a new one if you want to get laid by hot superfacial chicks. That's the trade off.

I drive an 88 volvo 760 turbo, AC doesn't work, it doesn't start on the first 3 cranks, and my rear distributor seal leaks, gonna get it fixed next time work sends me out for a confrence so I can send it to the mechanic for a week. I HAVE to drive this thing into the ground because I drive 30K miles a year. Also every year I keep this car I'm saving about $5k
on insurance and cost of money/depreciation.

Next car I'm gonna get is a Subaru outback sport, so it's actually a step down, but it gets slightly better gas mileage, takes regular gas, is a wagon, and has AWD for what I can afford ($20K).

 

[Sphexi]

I had a 1991 Toyota Camry before I moved. Little bit of rust, 185k miles, original engine and very minor maintenance required (brakes and whatnot). Ran like a champ, when I put it up for sale I got dozens of people looking at it because of the fact that you can beat on Toyotas forever

 

[BAMAVOO]

MMM> I have a 1994 Dodge Ram 1500 with 70,000 miles (Up for sale) and a 1994 Ford Escort with 40,000 miles. (Daily driver to work) neither of these will win best in show, but they do go from point a to b without a hitch.

So, nope don't care what it looks like as long as I get there.

 

[BAMAVOO]

Originally posted by: Swanny
I'd wait till you get a job with which you can afford a nicer car. On the other hand, image matters in a lot of jobs, and driving a poorly kept-up car doesn't help.

Maybe for a VP or something. IF they want me driving a nicer car, they can buy it for me. I don't care what they pay me otherwise.

 

[potato28]

Yes. Any running car is a good car.

 

[hoorah]

I do both!

I have a 91 Volvo 240 with an estimated 215,000 miles on it (170K + estimated 9k per year over 5 years, odometer stopped) that I commute to work and back with. It takes all of the rock chips and road debris on I95 every day. Its pretty scratched up, although I did recently fix the AC so it works somewhat.

For the weekend though, I have a nice like 2001 BMW 330 Coupe. She's beautiful, but I haven't touched her in a week and a half

 

[jhayx7]

Originally posted by: buck
I have a civic thats getting a little old, it only has 70k on it, but the thing is that $20 in gas lasts me a week. My commute is 1:30 5 days a week.
I cant justify getting a new one yet...

A little old?!? It is still young! My '01 civic has 115k on it and am going to New Orleans in it tomorrow Not having a car payment is very nice!

 

[Scarpozzi]

Get a cheap can of spray paint....sand the rust spots and cover them with paint.... It's not worth investing in a new paint job for a 10 year old car with 2 coats on it. You'd have to get it taken down to the metal and it's not worth it. (probably $1500 for a decent paint job after sanding labor is included)

Try to get by as long as you can, but if you find a deal on a car in the next couple of years and you are ready, go for it. Just remember that not only will you have a nice car payment, insurance is going to suck as well.

 

[Instan00dles]

Originally posted by: Tylanner
im going to drive my cars into the ground

same here, I wont pay to fix the looks of my car but I will fix anything mechanical. I also do the work myself so it ends up being really cheap anyways.

 

[azazyel]

Originally posted by: Swanny
I'd wait till you get a job with which you can afford a nicer car. On the other hand, image matters in a lot of jobs, and driving a poorly kept-up car doesn't help.

Oh no I take the bus to work! What must my fellow employees think of me!

 

[Deeko]

Yup. I bought a 2000 Galant with pretty signifigant body damage that still runs great, had it for a year and a half now with no problems, and I love it. Got it for 20% the blue book value, too.

 

[KrillBee]

Originally posted by: Scarpozzi
Get a cheap can of spray paint....sand the rust spots and cover them with paint.... It's not worth investing in a new paint job for a 10 year old car with 2 coats on it. You'd have to get it taken down to the metal and it's not worth it. (probably $1500 for a decent paint job after sanding labor is included)

Try to get by as long as you can, but if you find a deal on a car in the next couple of years and you are ready, go for it. Just remember that not only will you have a nice car payment, insurance is going to suck as well.

ive thought of trying to paint over the rough spots myself, but because it is clearcoat black (a clear mixed with a black coat), id be hard to match the color.

i'd probably have to sand off all the paint (which would suck) and then just paint it myself (which i have no idea how to do).

And a car painted by myself for the first time, i cant imagine would look very good.

but neither would a car with speckled spray paint in places.

 

[jagec]

Originally posted by: KrillBee

you see, i average 17-20 mpg in town, which for me isnt good enough. but then again, id feel unsafe in car as small as a civic.

IMHO you're a little over-cautious, because very few in-town accidents will be bad enough to compromise the safety of even the humble Civic. Freeway, now, that's different...but freeway accidents are always a roll of the dice.

Then again, I ride a bike, so yeah...50mpg FTW?

 

[KrillBee]

Originally posted by: jagec

Originally posted by: KrillBee

you see, i average 17-20 mpg in town, which for me isnt good enough. but then again, id feel unsafe in car as small as a civic.

IMHO you're a little over-cautious, because very few in-town accidents will be bad enough to compromise the safety of even the humble Civic. Freeway, now, that's different...but freeway accidents are always a roll of the dice.

Then again, I ride a bike, so yeah...50mpg FTW?

a 40 mph accident, could turn a civic (if its one of the older ones) into a crumpled piece of metal.

i wouldnt have the money to buy a newer, safer, civic. id have to get a late 80s early 90s one.

 

[xanis]

I would rather have a reliable car than a stylish one. No point in looking good sitting on the side of the highway en route to work.

 

[EngenZerO]

i'm sorry... i coudnt do it...

my car has to look slick...

 

[sniperruff]

yeah sure why not. as long as i can drive, im happy.

 

[KrillBee]

Originally posted by: Xanis
I would rather have a reliable car than a stylish one. No point in looking good sitting on the side of the highway en route to work.

lol, well lets assume reliability is the same for both cars.