Help! Two USD$1,000 cars (UPDATE: Getting the Subie)

Which is which?

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The Vanishing Boy

The Vanishing Boy

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Quezon City, Philippines & Las Vegas, NV
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Vanishing Boy
-> Hi fellow GTP'ers! I need help for a good daily beater in place of 'Silvie' (S2000 AP2v1).

-> First of all, my budget is very limited at USD$1,000. I need an economical wagon and must be M/T; so after weeks of searching (a non-running AE86 GT-S, a EF Civic sedan, and a Legend sedan ), I've found only two:

1989 Honda Civic (DX) Wagon/WagoVan USD$1100 (haven't negostiated)

The Car (stock photo, Euro-spec)
1991.jpg


The Ad
http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/cto/1575961935.html

GOOD
- Interior is immaculate
- 156K miles
- Most, if not all my friends know the car
- Fuel Injected (maybe D15 or D16 SOHC Non-VTEC)
- Good sound system (has all aftermarket goodies, although a bit ricey thou)
- New clutch
- This Civic usually costs between $2,500-3,500
- Engine purrs good
- Car is in Vegas

BAD
- Didn't have the chance to test drive the car...
- ...because the harness for the clutch pedal is broken (need to be replaced).
- The engine bay is greased underneath, I cant see the engine code!
- The car has a substantial cosmetic issues (on the roof and on the right-rear fender)
- Color throughout the car are mis-matched, needs to be repainted (stock blue & black)
- Needs to be towed (clutch pedal)
- Need to verify if this car has a clean title FOR REAL
- Uncertain if the car had a tune-up

VERDICT
- This is the OG Fit, and I love this (OG) Fit. This rare wonder wagon will certify me as a Honda 'fanboi' after having an S2K, an RA3 Odyssey(shared with mom), and a joint-ownership of the Ridgeline (at work).


1989 Subaru (Leone) GL 1.8L {non-turbo} 4WD USD$1,500 (negostiated @ $1000)

The Car (stock photo, turbo model)
1989_Subaru_GL.jpg


The Ad
http://lasvegas.craigslist.org/cto/1579036014.html

GOOD
- True 4WD (has FWD, 4WD-Hi, & 4WD-Lo)
- Fuel Injected
- Rare bubble-top spec
- Engine runs good (has that distinctive Boxer rumble)
- No body damage (some trimmings are loose)
- Other than the dust-n-dirt the interior is flawless (except on the door panels)
- Only had two owners (10 years each)
- Used to owned by Joe Pesci (as the 1st owner)
- Clean title
- Owner states that car has no A/C, but I found out IT DID!!!
- 100% stock
- This car usually costs between between $2,000-3,000
- Test drove the car

BAD
- Car is located in Yucca, AZ by I-40 (2.5 hr drive from Vegas)
- A minor fuel rail leak
- 211K miles
- Paint and door panels are faded due to high temperature
- Uncertain if the car had a tuneup
- Current owner states that it needs a fuel pressure regulator, but the car ran normally when I test drove it
- Not much people know about the car
- Needs to be towed (distance, fuel leak)
- Since the car has sat on idle for a long time, the car rides a little rough at first
- Sometimes/rarely hesitates to go 2nd gear (been in idle for so long)

VERDICT
- This car can practically do anything! Plus it has that significant nostalgic factor. The GL solves my need of having an SUV/CUV's. And on top of that, it gets good fuel economy!

-> Thanks a lot for the reply! :)
 
Last edited:
Get the Leone. It will run and run and run and run until the car absolutely refuses to move under its own power. And unlike Subarus of today, you can actually get decent mileage out of it.
 
Jew the guy down on the subie, and don't worry about the paint. both of these are ANCIENT now. a dealership would give them away, or have junked them the second they came in (up here,anyway, cause they'd have disintegrated). a GL/DL is one I'd pick up for an eighties collectible, nowadays.

Home: don't tell me you never had a subie like that?
 
Sorry, despite the issues on the Civic, that would be my choice. I've only seen a handful up here, and I totally love the damn things. They just look... Cool. I mean, they're not that cool, but you know what I mean.
 
Sniffs
Home: don't tell me you never had a subie like that?
Click to expand...

We might have done, and it might have been called the Legacy Wagon or some variation thereof, but it's about as interesting to me as the weave of a tweed cap so I've never bothered to look into it. Subaru means very little to me either side of the McRae/Burns era.

That said, you've just had me looking on UK ebay at the oldest Legacys I can find, which are early to mid nineties, and I'm amazed how much metal you get for your money. The one that caught my eye - 1995 Legacy Estate with the 2.0 turbo, only 78k miles, massive boot, aircon, power everything and ABS... only £1295. That sounds like remarkably good value. Even has a lovely Momo airbag steering wheel.

Actually, ignore my poll choice, I'd get the Subaru too. Use it and abuse it for years and then buy another.
 
Damnit. They didn't make a Corolla/Prizm Wagon. >:

Ah, well. Ignore choice. Gotta say, though, neither's really particularly common, but, still, I think the Civic has lots of commonality with other cars, so parts would be easy to find and cheap. I don't know what Subaru drivetrains are like, but I wonder about them at times, and I'm fairly sure they'd be hard to get parts for, and more expensive.

It's too bad you cant' take the Leone to a mechanic to check on it, at least, one you know in the area, before you buy it. And...the Civic needs work, so...yeah, you're kinda feeling around at the bottom of the barrel at this price range.
 
It makes me feel lucky to live in the UK (doesn't happen often, mind...). Reason number one has to be awesome choice of absolutely dirt cheap and surprisingly good condition used cars...
 
Sniffs
Jew the guy down on the subie, and don't worry about the paint.
Click to expand...

Hey, I realize that's a colloquialism, but please don't use a derogatory term like that here. Thanks.

I'd get the Subie, even though I love those Honda wagons. It will literally last forever, espscially in the southwest where the biodegradable bodywork isn't an issue. The AWD system is much more robust and the powertrain is nigh unkillable.

Plus if anything does break, Subarus are like automotive Legos, and the parts cross-availability is huge.
 
-> ...

Jondot
Although actually I'd find myself gravitating towards the Leone simply because it might have air con and you're in Las Vegas. That's the extent of my expertise.
Click to expand...

^ The Civic also has A/C. I was just shocked that the owner of the Subie said that it had no A/C for 10 years, but when I got to it it works!

BT-> I just got the history report for the Subie (from Experian), and the car was clean (as expected).

-> Still awaiting for the Civic's VIN...
 
UPDATE -> I just found out that the Civic had its odometer rolled back. Sorry, I'm replying thru my phone. :indiff:
 
-> I've finally decided, I'm getting the Subie. Its one of the cars that you can't simply pass it up. Other than the desert dirt, the car is in immaculate condition, plus this car is qualified to be in one of those JDM classic car shows (in the daily-beater category). ;)

-> And the Civic is a scam in my book. Plus there is too much to work it on and its uncapable to be driven unlike in the Subie. :)

-> Many thanks for the advice guys! I will post the pics for the Subie once I drive it back to Vegas! Again, many thanks! :)
 
Probably for the best. If the odo has been cracked, heaven knows what else has been done; and the car probably doesn't have a proper service history either.
 
^ Yea, I agree this seller is pretty shady & clueless when we talked about the Civic. It was too bad that it comes to this. Some folks at S2Ki.com pointed me a couple of Civic wagons in L.A., nice but as far as pics goes, they're in so-so condition. :indiff:

-> But on the long-term ordeal, the Subie has much more sense since I won't need a big brutish SUV or a poser CUV for a long time. I miss having AWD/4WD or/and a Subie (ex-owner of WRX). Plus, according to NASIOC (Subie fan forum), the bubble-top model is a very rare model. I've seen GL/Leone's here and there, but I've never seen a bubble-top other than this model here! :eek:
 

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