Help my brother find a car, Midsize or bigger. (or a '02 Taurus Tranny)

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Jim Prower

Jim Prower

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Eh, after the rants on Mazdas I kind of feel like an ass posting this, but...

Yeah. My brother's '02 Taurus with over 200,000 miles finally lost the transmission...completely. We need one of two things...

A) A transmission for an '02 Taurus, preferably in the Peoria, IL area, and for under $1,500.
B) A car, Midsize or bigger, for under $1,500. This means no Miatas. trucks with manual transmissions preferred. Age not an issue.

The reason for the size limit, I believe, was that a police officer hit him, 55 MPH, no siren, at an intersection. He was driving a Mazda B2000 at the time, and while he wasn't seriously hurt (thank heavens,) I think the wreck gave him an inherent distrust of small cars. I can't convince him differently, so I'm gonna ask that you just don't bother with compacts, as I won't E-mail the suggestions to him. (ironically, he's currently driving my old Nova.)

The price...well...He's not exactly in the best of financial situations due to being a college student and not making great pay working part-time at a bike shop...and getting kinda screwed by the college as far as living on-campus goes. Cheaper is better.
 
Well, if you're shopping mid-sizers for $1500, your options are going to be limited. Aside from another Taurus, you'd be looking at cars like the Lumina, Sebring (and its siblings), and the Toyota Camry.

Hell, just get a Camry...

800px-95-96_Toyota_Camry.jpg


Ours was on 210,000 miles before the deer killed it. It easily could have done another 90,000 if we treated it well. Aside from my Celica, its one of a few Toyotas that I actually like (secretly).
 
Get an old Crown Victoria. Not a lot on the road these days with more metal between you and the edges of the car. And you can find people giving them away.
 
Not bad ideas...I'll E-mail him the pickups y'all found. We've not had the greatest luck with him and high-mileage fords, though...Before the Taurus, it was an '84 Ranger pickup puking all 7 quarts of oil out the breather tube. (and that was the Pinto engine - though with over 200k miles.)

I'll look for a few Camrys and upper-midsize GM cars. Maybe an S-10 or something, too. I mean, he likes sticks, but he don't need one.

He's owned a Buick Roadmaster, but that turned be a bit too much on gas, so I don't think he technically wants something...well, I know he'd like an old P71, but I'm not sure the Parents would be thrilled about that. XD
 

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