I won't list all of them. Going back about 10 years, with a couple vehicles omitted...
1988 Pontiac Trans Am GTA (5.7L V8): Paid $4k for it in summer 1999. I don't think I'll ever get rid of this one, as I love it, plus it has a bit of sentimental value to me. Would buy again, obviously - although I would look a little closer at it and do more homework before doing so. Unknown to me at the time, mine was abused and wrecked at least once before I got it. Crappy repairs were done, so that the front end never lined up right (being taken care of now), although the car always drove straight. I'm not going to blame the car for issues caused by the neglect / accidents of the previous owners. With that said, I will be on my 3rd engine when the car comes out of the shop - first was toast when I got the car, second was the cheapest reman that I could find - dropped in when I discovered that the first was bad. That one popped a head gasket, so I decided to go all out and put in a built-up 383 (not out of the shop yet). Aside from the normal wear items and stuff that normally goes bad after 15 years on the road, I've had no real issues with it. This car gets a lot of attention at lights and gas stations, etc. Seems every time I fill up, I have someone approach me asking what's under the hood, how fast is it, "I had one of these when I was younger and wish I never sold it", etc. Requests to "light 'em up" aren't uncommon either
🙂 Still own this one, obviously.
1977 Cadillac Coupe DeVille (7.0L V8): Paid $375 for it in winter 2001. Would not buy again. This was my first attempt at buying a cheap college beater so my Trans Am didn't get messed up at school. Didn't drive this beast more than 30 miles in the entire time I had it, mainly due to leaking brake lines. Despite the huge V8, this thing was a slug. Look at the way it dwarfs the Mercury Sable next to it! This would have been a really cool cruiser with some bodywork and fresh non-canary yellow paint - but college is not the time for a project like this. Also of note, the chains holding on the rear bumper. Didn't Chris Rock do a bit on how the bumpers don't stay on a Cadillac? Anyway, sold for $425.
1992 Ford Mustang LX (2.3L NA 4 cyl): Paid $135 or so ($200 out the door) for it in winter 2002. Would buy again (well, for what I paid for it at least
😛 ). My second (very successful) attempt at a cheap college beater. This car looked like hell when I got it, the door sagged 2 inches below the door frame - you had to actually lift it up to close it. Rust everywhere, filthy interior, dents n dings, you name it. The oil pressure gauge didn't move from zero for the entire drive home from the dealership - (15 miles). I thought it was broken, but it turned out there just wasn't any oil in it. :shocked: The price I paid reflected this though - it was at a dealership that just wanted it gone. The best part - it only had 42k miles on it when I got it
😀. I needed it to last through winter - it ended up lasting the next 4 years and 50k more miles with only minor, routine repairs. It actually wasn't bad once I cleaned it up and fixed the door, although it was incredibly slow. Sold for 2x what I paid for it when the transmission blew out.
1988 Chrysler Conquest Tsi (2.6L 4 cyl turbo): Paid $700ish in fall 2005. Would not buy again. OMG. This car had the potential to be fun and interesting, but needed WAY more work than I could put into it at the time. Everything was falling apart, and I didn't like the color combination really (burgundy interior, blech). There's a reason you don't see many of these around - this is by far the most troublesome car I've ever owned. Would have been pretty awesome if maintained properly from new, but I think mine was pretty badly neglected before I got it. Sold on eBay not running for a bit over $800.
1989 Honda Prelude 2.0Si (2.0L 4 cyl): Paid $600 for it in spring 2006. Would buy again. Has been fun to drive and extremely reliable so far, only left me stranded once when a water leak got into the main relay (which controls the fuel pump) and shorted it out. Has needed some work since I've had it, but nothing major. Most of the stuff I've fixed has been upgrades (suspension, exhaust) and body repairs from where the previous owner hit things. Although, big repairs are on the horizon - I think I have a burned valve, the steering rack has been bad since I got it, and the transmission slips pretty badly now. Used parts are dirt cheap (lots are being parted out), but OEM parts are surprisingly pricey. Still have this one.
1994 BMW 840Ci (4.0L V8): Paid $18k for it in fall '06, although the market has tanked quite a bit since
🙁 . I wanted something newer and nicer than what I had driven previously, plus I had always wanted an 8 series, so this fit perfectly. It was immaculate, and unlike my previous cars, this one had been very well cared for. I love it. This car is not for those who don't want strangers gawking at them or approaching them in gas stations, as people openly stare at you when you are driving it
😛, and I get questions about it all the time. I think it's because you never see these around here. Nobody seems to believe me when I tell them what year it is - many think it's nearly new. It's sluggish off the line, but gets up and goes once you are moving. Handling is decent, especially considering the weight (~4100 lbs!!). Maintenance is higher than on many cars, but not nearly as bad as people make it out to be. OEM parts for this car actually aren't atrociously expensive, especially since there's a way for all 8 series owners to get a 25% discount on dealership parts
😉 and you can usually find someone parting one out if you need something big and do a little searching around. It can get annoying waiting for parts to come in though, since many things have to be special ordered. Gas mileage sucks (I get about 13/22) but then again, I have a lead foot. Nothing big has gone wrong yet, except a fuel pump.
