This time, it's serious - Tire time @ Post 131

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jim Prower
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Eh, I'll keep it in mind. Thing is it hasn't had a proper registry in awhile according to the poster, and that raises little red flags.
 
Azuremen
You buy that Corolla and you're a god damn moron.
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I'm thinking the same, on the Chicago one. No more powerful than my Nova, hasn't been registered since the early '00s...Supra wheels can't make up for 78hp. Frankly, I don't wanna be this guy...

itsukib.jpg


Sent the owner of the INfiniti an E-mail requesting more info. It intrigues me...and has that Supertouring thing I like.
 
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Ask him, I dare you. ;P

I've added it to my shortlist of Jetta, Civic, etc to look at daily.
 
I say Honda Civic! Like a TypeR, must be the SI in the USA! Reliable, fun to drive and economic too! Or any other civic will fill those requisites:)!

A miata is a good choise too! A sports car enough said.


That AE86 (hillside) looks good, but needs a decente paint job.
 
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We never got the Type R and most are over priced, due to Honda's holding their resale value far too well, in my opinion.

If you wanted a little fun for cheap, you could look at the Prism GSi. 4A-GE (though I grow less found of this engine constantly) powered, disc brakes, etc., usually for less than most Corolla's of the same era.

Otherwise, I continue my instance upon an E36 328i or 325i.
 
Jim Prower
I'm thinking the same, on the Chicago one. No more powerful than my Nova, hasn't been registered since the early '00s...Supra wheels can't make up for 78hp. Frankly, I don't wanna be this guy...
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36 MPG, dead reliable, and plenty of fun if you aren't all about HP. My favorite amongst 8 daily drivers I've had.
 
Jim Prower
No. Drive it here. and no more than $2500. Which happens to be the price of a lower-mileage 86 in Chicago...

http://chicago.craigslist.org/chc/cto/1768983797.html

Noted it's the 4A-C...Okay, $3,000, but not a penny more! unless the others in the Forum can talk you down more. Or we can say that covers your delivery fee and flight home from Peoria International.

Forester: It's a serious consideration if I end up making enough a year with this new job, but right now I need to focus on $2500 or less.
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An SR5?

aitsuki03.jpg


edit: OMG, DID NOT TURN THE PAGE.
 
Jim Prower
I've added it to my shortlist of Jetta, Civic, etc to look at daily.
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Oh! I totally missed your post about the '95 MKIII. Based on what you had linked to there, it seems like a halfway decent choice if you're willing to drop the coin on it. My '96 was otherwise identical aside from the fact I had a Wolfsburg which added different seats, a spoiler and a moon roof. I loved my Jetta, and I miss her dearly (I'm so glad someone resurrected it), and they're totally worth the trouble in the long run.

I'll mention the obligatory issues of high insurance rates and occasionally outrageous parts prices, but as a German car, you would expect that. Volkswagens of this era are notorious for their electronics issues as well, so make sure you ask them if the car acts up in humid or wet weather. Also, make sure you grab that stick and wiggle it around when you have a look at the car. If it feels loose, or really unnatural (you'll know what I mean if you've been around a lot of manual transmission cars), there may be transmission issues afoot. Based on my MKIII Jetta and testimony from my friend who owns an indie European car shop, these transmission issues are common enough to notice... But not an extremely common issue for all of the MKIII cars.

Other than that, I can't complain too much about the Jetta I had. I treated her well, and for the most part, that was reciprocated back. With my usually spirited driving, I was able to average 27 MPG regularly. Going back/forth from Grand Rapids to Chicago, I pulled 32 MPG. The car never ate oil up, never really leaked anywhere, was always comfortable and quiet, and got through the snow like a champ.

I guess the only other thing to worry about is the model designations, which really didn't mean all that much. The GL was the basic model, the Wolfsburg being a small step above that. The GT/K2/Trek were all pretty much the same as the Wolfsburg, each getting some fancy seats and so on. Really, they're all the same car. The only special model is the GLX VR6, and well, that one speaks for itself. They're strangely reliable, and a little hard to find. Grab one of those and you've got a real winner.
 
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mitsubishi-Lancer-Evolution-2005-Mitsubishi-Lancer-Evolution-/320536294184?cmd=ViewItem&pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item4aa173b328#v4-31

Little over the budget, but might worth it to consider. Mitsubishi EVO

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Audi-A4-4DR-SDN-2-8L-1998-AUDI-A4-QUATTRO-AWD-2-8L-5SP-MANUAL-Low-MILES-/190399481425?cmd=ViewItem&pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item2c54b18651

This one is an Audi A4 62K miles

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2003-AUDI-ALLROAD-AWD-SHADES-MEM-HEAT-SEAT-AIR-SUSP-/390197419906?cmd=ViewItem&pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item5ad9941f82

Lots of Audi Allroad below 10k

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/07-Passat-Sport-PKG-3-6L-4Motion-AWD-Xenon-Keyless-/190400551515?cmd=ViewItem&pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item2c54c1da5b

Nice VW Passat 4Motion right about 15k

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mercedes-E-320-4matic-Wagon-3rd-Row-HeatdSeat-WRNTY-/320540546134?cmd=ViewItem&pt=US_Cars_Trucks&hash=item4aa1b49456

or something like my own personal car E320 4Matic for les than 10k
 
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That's a nice looking Evo, but all of the thumbnails say that the car is no longer in the database. And 100k miles on an Evo probably won't make the next few years full of cheap maintenance. I see it has the rare 4 speed manual though. :lol:
 
EWWWW! NO AUDIS!

All of those are a bit out of my price range as of now, sorry.
 
Out of curiosity, I took a look at cars.com listings in Peoria for your price range. Great selection if you want a pickup, but not much of anything else. Mazda Proteges seem to be pretty nice and aren't in nearly as high demand as Civics. I had one for a week, but the transmission was bad, so the dealer agreed to buy it back (I broke my leg and needed an auto). I'd stay away from the one I saw listed, though. There were also a couple of Nissans. I've had two and put a lot of miles on both, and maintenance costs weren't too bad.

Anyway, I think Proteges, Sentras and Altimas are worth watching for. None are RWD, but they handle pretty well, are fairly reliable depending on how they've been treated and--unlike the Civic--they aren't on the top of nearly everyone's shopping list.

How do you feel about motorcycles?
 
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Don't think one would be prudent, especially if I get this job. it's in the middle of no-where, and short of riding an enduro machine all year, I don't think I could do it.

That, and I don't trust myself with more than 50cc. Yeah, it sucks living in an area where trucks are "IT."

Thoughts on a Saturn SC2? Found a '96 5-speed in a local paper. Guy with the Infiniti hasn't e-mailed back, I figure I'll have to call.

Also found an '84 Supra for $1,000. B&W picture, though, so who knows what it's really like..

EDIT: This is tempting... http://www.cars.com/go/search/detai...2Nm=miles&rpp=50&feedSegId=28705&aff=national

And not that I'm interested...but what the hell is this?! http://www.cars.com/go/search/detai...2Nm=miles&rpp=50&feedSegId=28705&aff=national
 
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Saturns are good cars. The plastic panels are good for low speed collisions, and the engines and transmissions are usually good. Only thing to keep an eye on is the engine cradle crossmember near where the a-arms attach. Ours (a '93) for some reason rusted real bad on the driver's side, but not the passenger side. The other problem area is the headlight motors (since it's an SC2 it would have flip-up headlights) which tend to wear out after a while, especially if the car is from a winter climate like in Minnesota (which I'm sure is close to your winters).
 
Our winters can be pretty nasty, but not really Minnesota...we can get some nasty ice storms. I expect any car with flip-up headlights to have the possibility of problems, though.
 
This group of cars is more needs than wants oriented:

1999 Ford Taurus: $2990- http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ct=u&car_id=273707170&dealer_id=570110&car_year=1999&rdm=1275701519534&lastStartYear=1981&num_records=25&systime=&highlightFirstMakeModel=&start_year=1981&engine=&keywordsrep=&keywordsfyc=&certified=&fuel=&body_code=0&awsp=false&search_type=used&distance=25&marketZipError=false&search_lang=en&showZipError=n&first_record=26&make=&color=&keywords_display=&page_location=findacar%3A%3Aispsearchform&min_price=1000&drive=&default_sort=&seller_type=b&max_mileage=&style_flag=1&sort_type=priceDESC&address=61605&advanced=&end_year=2011&pager.offset=25&transmission=&doors=&max_price=4000&cardist=6&standard=false

2000 Volvo 1.9T Wagon: $3995- http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ct=u&car_id=274044143&dealer_id=100035752&car_year=2000&rdm=1275701519534&lastStartYear=1981&num_records=25&systime=&highlightFirstMakeModel=&start_year=1981&engine=&keywordsrep=&keywordsfyc=&certified=&fuel=&body_code=0&awsp=false&search_type=used&distance=25&marketZipError=false&search_lang=en&showZipError=n&first_record=76&make=&color=&keywords_display=&page_location=findacar%3A%3Aispsearchform&min_price=1000&drive=&default_sort=&seller_type=b&max_mileage=&style_flag=1&sort_type=priceDESC&address=61605&advanced=&end_year=2011&pager.offset=75&transmission=&doors=&max_price=4000&cardist=12&standard=false

1999 Mercury Sable LS: $2995- http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ct=u&car_id=277952679&dealer_id=100010518&car_year=1999&rdm=1275701519534&lastStartYear=1981&num_records=25&systime=&highlightFirstMakeModel=&start_year=1981&keywordsfyc=&keywordsrep=&engine=&certified=&body_code=0&fuel=&awsp=false&search_type=used&distance=25&marketZipError=false&search_lang=en&showZipError=n&first_record=101&make=&keywords_display=&color=&page_location=findacar%3A%3Aispsearchform&min_price=1000&drive=&default_sort=&seller_type=b&max_mileage=&style_flag=1&sort_type=priceDESC&address=61605&advanced=&end_year=2011&pager.offset=100&doors=&transmission=&max_price=4000&cardist=4&standard=false

1996 Nissan 200SX: $2500- http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ct=u&car_id=275320018&dealer_id=100035752&car_year=1996&rdm=1275701519534&lastStartYear=1981&num_records=25&systime=&highlightFirstMakeModel=&start_year=1981&engine=&keywordsrep=&keywordsfyc=&certified=&fuel=&body_code=0&awsp=false&search_type=used&distance=25&marketZipError=false&search_lang=en&showZipError=n&first_record=126&make=&color=&keywords_display=&page_location=findacar%3A%3Aispsearchform&min_price=1000&drive=&default_sort=&seller_type=b&max_mileage=&style_flag=1&sort_type=priceDESC&address=61605&advanced=&end_year=2011&pager.offset=125&transmission=&doors=&max_price=4000&cardist=12&standard=false
 
Got a new personal best today: 38.7 MPG on my SR5 Corolla. You'll have a tough time beating that for how much fun it is. The only other thing I feel I could replace it with is a Miata or an NA MR2.
 
I still say go with that G20. It's less than $2k, so you'll have a grand to go buy a nice TV for GT5 or something.
 
RVDNuT374
This group of cars is more needs than wants oriented:

1996 Nissan 200SX: $2500- http://www.autotrader.com/fyc/vdp.jsp?ct=u&car_id=275320018&dealer_id=100035752&car_year=1996&rdm=1275701519534&lastStartYear=1981&num_records=25&systime=&highlightFirstMakeModel=&start_year=1981&engine=&keywordsrep=&keywordsfyc=&certified=&fuel=&body_code=0&awsp=false&search_type=used&distance=25&marketZipError=false&search_lang=en&showZipError=n&first_record=126&make=&color=&keywords_display=&page_location=findacar%3A%3Aispsearchform&min_price=1000&drive=&default_sort=&seller_type=b&max_mileage=&style_flag=1&sort_type=priceDESC&address=61605&advanced=&end_year=2011&pager.offset=125&transmission=&doors=&max_price=4000&cardist=12&standard=false
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I'll tell you what, though...this one is worth checking out. It's only the 1.6, I realize, but it is a small car with reasonably good chassis and a manual transmission. Have to see if the dealer still has it.

And, if it decides to crap out on me, I can always flip the exhaust manifold over and put a fart can through the hood...



:P

I'll try and call the guy with the Prim...err, G20 today. Problem is he's almost an hour out...Saturn's almost a half hour closer.

And what if the G20 is a...um...auto? Should also note that I don't have a PS3...Most modern machine we have is a Nintendo Wii.
 
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Isn't that DavidsFarm guy a pedo or something? All of his videos are awful.
 
Well, I looked at that 200SX from AutoTrader. Paint wasn't...great, interior was. Has 137,000 miles, so we found it'd been leaking a little oil, main thing it needs is struts and tires.

If I can back this guy down to $2,000, I could take it. He HAS had it a long time, as the pictures showed snow, so...we may be able to bargain.

Also found a '98 Impreza 2.5 RS at another dealer, Green w/gold wheels. It had a sticker...something like "Safety Certification" on the windshield. Think it had been wrecked...what does that mean?

EDIT: Research finds that indeed, it was once a salvage title, or had been flooded, but was rebuilt by a licensed rebuilder and passed inspection from the Secretary of State's office. I don't know if that means it's safe or not.
 
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Jim Prower
EDIT: Research finds that indeed, it was once a salvage title, or had been flooded, but was rebuilt by a licensed rebuilder and passed inspection from the Secretary of State's office. I don't know if that means it's safe or not.
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If the salvage title was from a flood and was repaired by a licensed person than it should be just fine. Make sure you get paper work though as to what damage was done and what repairs were made to it.
 
Think of it this way...it wasn't an SE-R, and, if they could buy it, it was probably a rat, anyway.
 
JCE
These idiots should be shot in the groin for destroying such a good car. This pisses me off to see people do this kind of stuff.
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It only gets worse from there if you search "Davesfarm" on YouTube. Recently he and his "crew" have been trashing more and more perfectly roadworthy cars. 👎
 

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