Got my first car...Chrysler 300M Special! Finally! Picture time!

[CDailey]

Well I've been informed by my mother that she will be helping me buy a car at the end of May. She's gonna put $1500 into the pot, and I figure I would probably be able to add around another $1000 to that for a total of around $2500. Any suggestions as to what to buy? I really don't care what I drive as long as it works and doesn't need any mechanical work done to it, and I'd rather not drive a truck or a van. I do have a few cars I would like to have, but I'm not sure if they will fit into my budget. Possible ideas are a Miata, Civic, P71 Crown Victoria (although I'm almost certain I won't be able to find a 2003+ model for $2500) and an older Mercedes E class. My zip code is 32257 if you want to search autotrader etc... for cars in my area. I'm willing to go about 50 miles to pick the car up.

Thanks for any input. 👍


edit: forgot to add that I don't presently know how to drive stick, so all suggestions should have an automatic transmission.

 

[xXSilencerXx]

I would guess the usual. Early 90's Japanese cars that seem indestructable.

Here's a car. Saturn SL2. I've heard they are pretty decent but don't know anyone to actually back that up.

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.j...doors=&transmission=&max_price=3000&cardist=7

 

[mustangGT90210]

80's I4/V6 mustang
Mid to late 80's Supra
Pains me to say it, but really anything old and japaneese.

All early Saturns are ugly, slow, unreliable cars. In other words, huge pieces of S***

 

[Spec M]

A Civic or P71 would be perfect for that budget. I myself like the P71s and Marauders. Usually around here a (99-2003) ex-police car can be found for less than $3k with an average of about 80k miles. There not hard to work on either and can be easily turned into a Marauder style street machine. If you can find a police auction in your city your garunteed to see a few. Beside it seems like the ex-police cars are the cleanest and most maintained.


Later on if you want to get into upgrading, spend around $1500(est) you can turn this,

Into this, excluding performance modes besides the exhaust (one of my favorite tones).

 

[CDailey]

I would LOVE a Marauder, but around here, they still go for around $15,000. Would be sweet though, because they are the new undercover cop cars around here.

 

[mustangGT90210]

A Civic or P71 would be perfect for that budget. I myself like the P71s and Marauders. Usually around here a (99-2003) ex-police car can be found for less than $3k with an average of about 80k miles. There not hard to work on either and can be easily turned into a Marauder style street machine. If you can find a police auction in your city your garunteed to see a few. Beside it seems like the ex-police cars are the cleanest and most maintained.

The P71 and (I think this is the right code) 9C1 Caprice are the pursuit vehicles, IIRC, so how would that make them well maintained?

 

[CDailey]

They were not specificlly pursuit vehicles, but I'm sure some were used as that. They are well maintained because the police want their cars in tip top performing shape. AFAIK, every police vehicle goes to the shop once a month to get worked on.

 

[mustangGT90210]

A Civic or P71 would be perfect for that budget. I myself like the P71s and Marauders. Usually around here a (99-2003) ex-police car can be found for less than $3k with an average of about 80k miles. There not hard to work on either and can be easily turned into a Marauder style street machine. If you can find a police auction in your city your garunteed to see a few. Beside it seems like the ex-police cars are the cleanest and most maintained.


Later on if you want to get into upgrading, spend around $1500(est) you can turn this,

Into this, excluding performance modes besides the exhaust (one of my favorite tones).

So he needs to buy:
1) Rims
2) Grille
3) Front Bumper
4) Fog lights
5) dual exhaust kit
6) probably drop it an inch or two

sounds expensive!

They were not specificlly pursuit vehicles, but I'm sure some were used as that. They are well maintained because the police want their cars in tip top performing shape. AFAIK, every police vehicle goes to the shop once a month to get worked on.

Good point. Don't the police vehicles get sold completely stripped though?

 

[CDailey]

Good point. Don't the police vehicles get sold completely stripped though?

No. The only thing they legally have to remove are the lights. They don't have to remove the cage from the rear seats, but they almost always do. They can leave the push bar and the spot light.

 

[Spec M]

The P71 and (I think this is the right code) 9C1 Caprice are the pursuit vehicles, IIRC, so how would that make them well maintained?

Yes thats true indeed. From my own personal experience the ex-squad cars tend to be bullet proof. This is the main reason why I considered getting on at one point. Two people ive worked with have them one was silver and the other was a royal blue ex-state police car. Its been around a year and half an theyve had no problems what so ever. Not to mention there both over 105-110,000mi. I figure most people think an ex-police car is going to be all beat up a stressed out but from all my REAL life observations and experiences from shopping for one that was totally not the case. But I ended up saving the cash for school anyway.

 

[mustangGT90210]

No. The only thing they legally have to remove are the lights. They don't have to remove the cage from the rear seats, but they almost always do. They can leave the push bar and the spot light.

Ahh. I was under the impression they leave just the bare bones of the car, No radio or any other convinience.

Yes thats true indeed. From my own personal experience the ex-squad cars tend to be bullet proof. This is the main reason why I considered getting on at one point. Two people ive worked with have them one was silver and the other was a royal blue ex-state police car. Its been around a year and half an theyve had no problems what so ever. Not to mention there both over 105-110,000mi. I figure most people think an ex-police car is going to be all beat up a stressed out but from all my REAL life observations and experiences from shopping for one that was totally not the case. But I ended up saving the cash for school anyway.

Things gotta be dirt cheap to insure too. Not like the mustang/firebird/camaro/miata I'm lookin' at.

 

[CDailey]

Ahh. I was under the impression they leave just the bare bones of the car, No radio or any other convinience.

AFAIK, the radio is the only interior convenience that is an option on Ford Fleet Crown Vics, so it's a pot shoot wether you get one or not.

 

[mustangGT90210]

AFAIK, the radio is the only interior convenience that is an option on Ford Fleet Crown Vics, so it's a pot shoot wether you get one or not.

Ahh. Personally I don't think I could go without the radio.

What does AFAIK mean?

 

[Boz Mon]

Not like the mustang/firebird/camaro/miata I'm lookin' at.

Haha, that put a smile on my face.

CDailey, you should learn to drive stick and then buy a miata. There is a ton of fun to be had there, and they are very reliable.

 

[CDailey]

Ahh. Personally I don't think I could go without the radio.

What does AFAIK mean?

I don't listen to the radio. I'll be putting an aftermarket head unit in it anyway after a while, followed by some nice components and a subwoofer.


AFAIK = As Far As I Know.

 

[mustangGT90210]

Haha, that put a smile on my face.

CDailey, you should learn to drive stick and then buy a miata. There is a ton of fun to be had there, and they are very reliable.

Learn stick, yessss.

Miata seems fun, but I say you go with a 'Stang.

 

[CDailey]

Haha, that put a smile on my face.

CDailey, you should learn to drive stick and then buy a miata. There is a ton of fun to be had there, and they are very reliable.

I'm not really looking for fun. I just want a car that will get me from point A to point B, that will sometimes get me there faster than I should. Hence the P71

 

[Spec M]

these things are easy to get a hold of in Detroit, which Marauders are pretty common. I looked around for about 3 weeks for these parts last year around this time (after income tax).

1) Rims - optional or any kind you want
2) Grille - optional, $30-50 (I was going to keep the black ford grille and then mount a black for emblem)
3) Front Bumper - $500
4) Fog lights - 50-$100
5) dual exhaust kit -$240 (magnaflow, mufflers, includein tips, local shop)
6) probably drop it an inch or two - $100 (You dont need, but if you want)
7) Head lights - $120 a piece, only $30-$40 for the side corners.

Like I said CDailey its a lot of car for the cash. And later on your extra cash can go a long way. From my actual experience these cars have been very dependable. Also Honda will always be a good choice when you need cheap and reliable. The list of options for these cars are outrageous. But remember when your purchasing a car dont settle for the first thing you fall in love with, keep looking around so there will be no regrets. Oil leaks are a no-no. I hope this has actually helped you bro and good luck. Remeber to buy what you want because your paying for it.

And yes the P71 is fun to drive, even in the snow lol (I have some memories).., But be careful it will get away from you if you push it, they are fast.

Edit: Oyea Miatas are great to and dependable, but I cant have it as an everyday driver cuz im 6'2 lol, and I need back seats for the homies, if 4 of us tried to squeeze in their it would look like one of those little clown cars HAHA

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/46039/buying_a_used_car_things_to_check_before.html

 

[buickgnx88]

80's I4/V6 mustang
Mid to late 80's Supra
Pains me to say it, but really anything old and japaneese.

All early Saturns are ugly, slow, unreliable cars. In other words, huge pieces of S***

Haha I'd have to disagree to a point, my dad has a '93 SC2 and it sure isn't ugly or slow and the drivetrain is reliable. Course there's a bad rust bubble on the roof, the motorized headlights stopped working, as well as the window crank gears becoming stripped. But of course it is his daily driver and has almost 160,00 miles on it!

 

[High-Test]

and an older Mercedes E class.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!



The gas mileage is quite good, for a car of that age and size. I got 24-28 miles per gallon from KC to Fargo over Easter. I just calculated what my fillups around 1/4 tank were and divided my trip odometer by how much gas I burned. I got 25.7mpg, then 28mpg, and figured I got 24.7 mpg when I passed the 1/2 tank mark. I was going in between 78 and 83 mph, or somewhere close to that. City mileage isn't great, but it's tolerable. Figure anywhere between 18 and 22, depending on how one drives.

I've broken only one piece of my car over 15,000 miles. I blew up a wiper motor, using a cheap, non microedge blade on full power for hundreds of miles on end in a snowstorm. I think the excess friction finally killed off the motor after 14 years of use.

An older E Class will run all day at highway speed.

It may be a bit more expensive, and parts may cost more, but it is one hell of a car.

But it's definitely not considered fun by most.

On the Saturn argument: I think they're pretty good vehicles. A close friend has a 1993 SC2 that he bought for 575 dollars. It has 230,000 miles on it and is still running strong. The heater and AC don't work, but everything else does.

 

[CDailey]

That's good to know HT. I've already seen two '88/'89 E class Mercs for under $1500.

 

[Diego440]

Knowing you, I'd recommend any late mid-to-late-90s Toyota. Fun factor is up to you... I'm sure you can find a decently-maintained Celica in that price range... I remember buying a '92 Celica GT in 2001 (so it'd be a 9 year-old-Celica) with around 89K miles for $2,500... post code was 33133, so I was still in FL

 

[YSSMAN]

Hmmmmm. Well, I guess in my opinion your options are pretty limited;

Some completely random stuff that I suggest...

1994-1996 Toyota Camry LE Coupe:

1993-1997 Mazda MX-6

...Just something to think about...

 

[TopHat]

On the Saturn S's: Short of the head gasket problem (On the early cars), they're pretty good cars. Cheap, reliable (Quad-4 FTW!), and they'll never rust. A big 👍 for that car.

YSSMAN: Oooh, nice Camry. I'd rather have a Probe than a MX-6 tbh, pop-ups are cool.

 

[YSSMAN]

I've got a sedan Camry like that, but for some reason, the Coupe has always had a soft-spot in my heart. Particularly when you could get a stick in the lower-level I4 models.

 

[buickgnx88]

On the Saturn S's:...and they'll never rust.

Haha well I wouldn't say never.... granted most of the body is plastic, the roof and hood are steel and the roof will gain minor rust bubbles in the corner near the windshield gasket, not to mention within the flip-up headlights on the '91-'95 SC2's.

 

[nd 4 holden spd]

It's a shame you're not in Australia, $2500AUD would get you a decent VL Commodore with RB30 Nissan engine, fairly reliable except they can crack the heads or something because the radiator is too low. Still, nice sedan it is.

 

[Diego440]

Where'd I get the idea you were in Jacksonville? Oh well, I searched there and found...

(drumroll)

TA-DA!

1984 buick grand national - $1750


also:
1995 Mustang $1500
"sick looking 240SX" that has a horrible rear spoiler $1200
1990 Mazda MX-5 for $1200 (you have to drive stick!)
1997 Cadillac Seville Sedan (you can race GhostC!) $1995
1995 Honda Accord $850
1989 Ford Taurus SHO Mad tyte y0! $800
1991 Crown Vic $1850
1986 Nissan lowrider pick-up $1500... you can go 'round the streets shouting "Wassappenin ese!"
1991 Dodge Stealth $1700
Mad tyte gangsta!!! -- On behalf of all of GTP, get this one!
1973 Mustang Mach 1 $1
1991 Jeep Cherokee 4x4 with special tyres, for those long, hard Florida winters
2001 Kia Rio $600 with some minor damage and an apparent "whoopsie" in the back seat
1986 BMW 325ES $1200
1989 Mercedes 190E $1900
1987 Pontiac Fiero GT $1500
1984 BMW 318i $1500
1983 Porsche 944 $1200
1991 BMW 750iL V12 engine! Great for taking advantage of those increasing gas prices. (drives normal in all forward gears, but no reverse.)
1973 Dodge Charger SE $1400
1985 BMW 325E $795
1999 Mercury Cougar V6 2.5L engine.
1990 Nissan 240SX $2000 (some JDM! parts)
1995 "Frod" Probe $1500
1995 Crown Vic $1000 it apparently has 997K miles... yes, you can be the proud owner of what will soon be a 1 million mile car!
1989 Toyota Camry $1500
1985 Volkswagen Golf GTI $1500 V-dub in da haus!
1987 Mercedes 420SEL $1500
1968 Chevy Nova II $2000 Just like in Death Proof!
1997 Ford Taurus SW $2000 -- This car has such sex appeal you could call it the CliTaurus
1979 International Scout $1300 -- These are awesome
1998 Kia Sephia $1300
1974 Chevy Corvette $1000 -- just a tad of rust
1990 Subaru Legacy AWD SW

meh that's it... I got bored after page 3

 

[nd 4 holden spd]

There are some nice cars on that list!

 

[CAMAROBOY69]

I would guess the usual. Early 90's Japanese cars that seem indestructable.

Here's a car. Saturn SL2. I've heard they are pretty decent but don't know anyone to actually back that up.

http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.j...doors=&transmission=&max_price=3000&cardist=7

For our daily drivers we have a 1996 Saturn 5 speed manual and my gf has a 2000 Saturn automatic. Both are SL2's and are very dependable, very cheap, and very good on gas. Mine gets 40+mpg highway and my gfs car gets 35+mpg on the highway. Even the insurance is cheap. All the panels are also dent resistant and wont rust. They are also front wheel drive so they are great in the winter if your in a winter climate (nm your in Florida). I highly recommend Saturns to anyone. Excellent cars. 👍