Originally posted by: ed0ggyd0gg
Hmm, it seems like most are recommending a foreign vehicle. I'll have to side with the majority. Thanks for the info though DougK62.
Originally posted by: DougK62
Originally posted by: ed0ggyd0gg
Hmm, it seems like most are recommending a foreign vehicle. I'll have to side with the majority. Thanks for the info though DougK62.
That's fine, but take it with a grain of salt. You're asking on a tech forum that's populated with a bunch of young Asian people.
For a cheap car you should be looking at maintenance records and how the car was cared for. You can basically ignore brands.
Originally posted by: ed0ggyd0gg
1990 Corolla
Should the "new clutch/timing belt" scare me off? Does that mean there might be more problems with it, and they just fixed the stuff that will keep it running long enough to sell?
I'm going to call them when I get off work in 45min.
Others that I'm looking at. Advice is appreciated.
1991 Civic (ugly body...have to rip that off)
1995 Civic
1989 Accord
Originally posted by: ElFenix
at that cheap a price brand has much less to do with it than how well the car was maintained and sheer dumb luck. take it to a trusted mechanic before you buy it.
Originally posted by: ed0ggyd0gg
1990 Corolla
Should the "new clutch/timing belt" scare me off? Does that mean there might be more problems with it, and they just fixed the stuff that will keep it running long enough to sell?
I'm going to call them when I get off work in 45min.
Others that I'm looking at. Advice is appreciated.
1991 Civic (ugly body...have to rip that off)
1995 Civic
1989 Accord
Originally posted by: BD2003
I've never seen an old subie on the road. I see plenty of toyotas/hondas though. The ones I see the most? Volvo. There are a massive number of old POS volvos around here for some reason.
Originally posted by: ed0ggyd0gg
1990 Civic
A steal or a lemon?
I figure since he needs cash so bad, I might be able to pry it off him for 900 and use the other 300 for anything I need to fix up front/insurance. But he might need to get rid of it quick because it sucks.
I think I can answer this myself. Must find reliable mechanic to take car to.
Originally posted by: ed0ggyd0gg
1990 Civic
A steal or a lemon?
I figure since he needs cash so bad, I might be able to pry it off him for 900 and use the other 300 for anything I need to fix up front/insurance. But he might need to get rid of it quick because it sucks.
I think I can answer this myself. Must find reliable mechanic to take car to.
Originally posted by: ed0ggyd0gg
Originally posted by: ElFenix
at that cheap a price brand has much less to do with it than how well the car was maintained and sheer dumb luck. take it to a trusted mechanic before you buy it.
Good point indeed. The thing is, I don't really know a mechanic in this area. Haven't needed one since I don't have a car.
If I don't find one from one of my friends, do I just take it to any mechanic (or a reputable place) and ask him to check it out, i.e. let him know I might buy it and I want to know what is wrong with it? Do they charge you for checking it out?
Originally posted by: ed0ggyd0gg
So I need a daily driver, just to commute to school and work, for as cheap as possible. It really needs nothing more than to get me from Point A to Point B, so let's keep that in mind.
I'm looking at a 1986 BMW 325e with 180K on it. 2nd owner, all maintenance records, runs well; owner is a grandma so I don't think she treated it bad. Now the price isn't bad, $1500, and I will probably try to lower that to $1200 if I decide to purchase it.
The thing is, I always hear about how BMW has higher maintenance costs, and my friends say it won't be worth it because if something does go wrong it will drain my pocket. They recommend a Honda/Nissan/Toyota, something that I can fix for cheaper and will run just as good.
I really like the BMW though, and it's in good shape too. Plus, I know their cars are reliable. But the maintenance thing is bugging me. Advice?
Originally posted by: ed0ggyd0gg
thedarkwolf, I checked out the 300ZX you posted for me and it's actually pretty nice. Thanks for the heads up!
I've known them to be good cars and when I did a search for "86 300ZX reviews" I saw many compliments. You mentioned that it wouldn't be too good for reliability though. Any reason why?