What Should I Get?

McLaren
Well, here's some deja vu. Slash tells someone what they think is wrong (nobody thinks about 70's cars as dream cars), then reverts back to "Opinion" stance when called out on his own dream vehicles.
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What's so wrong about that? I'm not most people. Don't play that card on me.

Azuremen
I'm saying 80's era and older American cars hold up like junk in an accident. And with how modern cars are built, the issue is just made worse in head-on and side impacts. Despite all their weight and steel, the engineering involved was pretty much junk in terms of chassis design and energy dissipation.
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Do you think he cares if he is looking at buying one of these cars?

While I agree they were at best "sketchy", in todays world that is easily fixable. Not as safe as modern cars, but handling and the like can be fixed.

You are only going to live once. Let the kid drive what he wants.




Azuremen
You need to get over your obsession with old Fords and realize the engineering behind most of them was very, very primitive at best. Especially when compared to the standards of the last two decades.
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First of all, you don't have the right to tell me what obsession I need to "get over" because you don't like the same type of vehicles as I do.


Otherwise, this is exactly why I love them, because you don't have to know everything in the world to work on one. I don't give a 🤬 if technology these days is better.

I've said it a million times, if you put a wrench in a morons hand, they can fix it.
 
Slash
What's so wrong about that? I'm not most people. Don't play that card on me.
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You don't see anything wrong with telling someone they can't have an opinion or thought on something (70's cars can't be dream cars), but you can (because pre-85 trucks are awesome)?

How 🤬 old are you, again? No wonder you got jumped for the Escort thread.

You are only going to live once. Let the kid drive what he wants.
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Cody clearly does not get #YOLO. That makes everything these days justifiable.
 
I'm not saying they can't be dream cars, I am saying they are typically considered dream cars. I could care less if someone dreamed about one all day long. In fact sometimes I do.


Yes because driving an old car is entirely unjustifiable. I guess everyone with a muscle car should send it to the scrap yard then.
 
Not every car made in America in the 1980s was powered by a Buick 3800, SBC, Vortec 4300 or 302 Ford; and even among those that were not all of the cars were as robust as the drivetrains usually were. I fear for the person who scoffs at the idea that American cars from that era were unreliable against the Japanese equivalents, then climbs into a Citation. Or basically any FWD Cadillac of that decade. Or any Turbo K Chrysler. Or, later, any Mitsubishi V6 Chrysler swapped the Turbo K with. Or any Ford powered by a V6 that wasn't the Vulcan.
 
Old inline 6s are well known to be stupid reliable.
 
Slash
Do you think he cares if he is looking at buying one of these cars?

While I agree they were at best "sketchy", in todays world that is easily fixable. Not as safe as modern cars, but handling and the like can be fixed.
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I'm talking about god damn chassis design, not the motor or any of that junk. Retro American cars have absolutely RUBBISH chassis engineering behind them. Sure, you can swap out all kinds of bits with the suspesion to make them handle better, but its like giving someone wildly out of shape a tricked out mountain bike - it doesn't fix the core issue.

Not to mention how they handle impacts and collisions.
Slash
First of all, you don't have the right to tell me what obsession I need to "get over" because you don't like the same type of vehicles as I do.

Otherwise, this is exactly why I love them, because you don't have to know everything in the world to work on one. I don't give a 🤬 if technology these days is better.
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That is great and all, but I am talking about engineering and structural design, not fuel injection and anti-lock brakes.

As for the obsession, I am saying you let it blind you to objective truths and facts, leading to absurd statements and retractions when you get caught out.

Slash
I've said it a million times, if you put a wrench in a morons hand, they can fix it.
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So tempting...

McLaren
Cody clearly does not get #YOLO. That makes everything these days justifiable.
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Man, I YOLO all day erryday, mate. Partly why I'm not dead. And ate that huge plate of Jamaican food while reading this.

Slash
Old inline 6s are well known to be stupid reliable.
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Slash
I'm not saying they can't be dream cars, I am saying they are typically considered dream cars. I could care less if someone dreamed about one all day long. In fact sometimes I do.
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"People dream about Ferrari's and Lamborghini's. Not beaten up and forgotten about piles of 🤬 '70s cars."

Seems to me you were pretty intent on stating it as a fact judging by the tone. And a tad hypocritical to say it in such a way, then admit you're someone that does.
Yes because driving an old car is entirely unjustifiable. I guess everyone with a muscle car should send it to the scrap yard then.
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Another missed point. It's not the car I'm making fun of. It's the dumb logic of, "you only live once" to justify a decision. Buy what you want because you like it, not because YOLO.
 
That's exactly what I am trying to say. You like a car so you buy it.

When people bring up the whole "you are going to die in a small crash" thing, is when I get defensive.

I know the cars aren't perfect. Far from it.
 
Slash
That's exactly what I am trying to say. You like a car so you buy it
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That was nothing similar to what you said, but ok then.
When people bring up the whole "you are going to die in a small crash" thing, is when I get defensive.

I know the cars aren't perfect. Far from it.
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He never said you'd actually die. It was an analogy. But, he is right because for as big & heavy as the cars appeared to be, it was actually a counter-point against how safe they were in accidents.
 
Slash
That's exactly what I am trying to say. You like a car so you buy it.

When people bring up the whole "you are going to die in a small crash" thing, is when I get defensive.

I know the cars aren't perfect. Far from it.
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When you have a steady job and income that is okay. When you're looking for a first car so that you're able to have a steady job and income, you should be purchasing the best car you can get for your money, which more than likely isn't the car you may want.
 
True, but it shouldn't have to be.

If my first car wasn't free I'd be in the same position.
 
Slash
True, but it shouldn't have to be.

If my first car wasn't free I'd be in the same position.
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It is part of growing up and being an adult. When you have to depend on yourself instead of your parents to take care of yourself you have to compromise on what you want and what you need.
 
Slash
You are only going to live once. Let the kid drive what he wants.
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That right there is the absolute worst piece of "justification," if you can even call it that, for the OP having an old American "muscle" car as a first vehicle.

Your first car is not something you want, unless you have the income to do so. Your first car is something you need, because as a hopefully healthy teenager with the whole world ahead of him/her, you have so many bloody years to get something which blows whatever you wanted as your first car out of the water 20-fold.

The "first car" should be a simple, effortlessly reliable but ultimately boring transportation device to get you from point-A to point-B (preferably to your workplace) with minimum costs and minimum hassle, so then when you do get a decent income you can make a big upgrade.

Forget trying to pick up chicks, forget trying to impress your mates, forget trying to justify a classic "let's just tinker with it a little so it starts" sports car, get yourself an old Corolla or Accord and actually get yourself on the move. You have to walk before you can run.
 
And an old car isn't stupidly simple and basic transporation?
 
Not necessarily. Parts can be harder to find/more expensive, parts will fail more frequently (both due to age and less advanced or compromised engineering), fuel mileage will suffer, depending on your definition of "old" you probably aren't dealing with anything remotely simple, etc.



You also run into the problem that if anything breaks it probably won't be worth it to have it fixed because the car is so low in value.
 
Something American for 5 grand? Look no further.

ford-crown-victoria-police-interceptor-03.jpg


There are quite alot of them at/under 5 grand. At least in my area, I considered these before I pulled the trigger on the Volvo I have now.
 
Slash
And an old car isn't stupidly simple and basic transporation?
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You missed the other 4 points of service but I suppose we can go through them one by one if that makes it easier for you.

They are simple, but too simple. Some would probably use the term "antiquated". @Tornado has also pretty much summed it up.
 
There is no such thing as too simple, at least for me.

Although us guess something like a Model T would work.
 
So, you have $5000, want an American car... are you more focused on big or small? Are El Camino's accepted? Is there a limit on how new it can be?
 
ildd
So, you have $5000, want an American car... are you more focused on big or small? Are El Camino's accepted? Is there a limit on how new it can be?
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I don't want anything huge (like a boat), but not too small either.

I wouldn't mind an El Camino or a Ranchero. Never thought of that.

As for age, it really doesn't matter. Not anything too old, but if I could find a good deal on a newer vehicle, I'd consider it.
 
I realize these are over 2,000 miles away from you, but-

1998 Cadillac http://houston.craigslist.org/cto/4467295481.html (not extremely big)
1985 El Camino http://houston.craigslist.org/cto/4467339922.html
2001 Mercury Cougar (technically it's American, but it's fwd and...yea. It's realitively obscure) http://houston.craigslist.org/cto/4467332328.html
1994 Ford T-Bird? http://houston.craigslist.org/cto/4467293919.html
1970 Oldsmobile Cutlass "runs great" http://houston.craigslist.org/cto/4467251792.html
1974 Triumph Spitifre (lol jk) http://houston.craigslist.org/cto/4424584006.html
1991 Camaro RS http://houston.craigslist.org/cto/4467237168.html
1998 Firebird http://houston.craigslist.org/cto/4426576486.html

That's what caught my eye.
 
Not that it will matter much, but you'll be way better off with something cheap to own and cheap to repair. Pretty much go to the mid-90's and spent $1,500 of your funny money on a Dodge Neon or Ford Escort. Learn to drive, have your first accident, spend a Saturday at a junkyard getting the parts to mend it in your driveway, and just figure out what it's like to own and drive a car. In a few years when you're a slightly better driver, with a steady job, and some more savings, then go out and buy a older muscle car you can work on and enjoy.

Muscle/older cars might be easier to work on, but finding parts cheaply isn't going to be easy. I visit a junkyard probably 2-3 times a month and a vast majority of vehicles in there that aren't trucks are mid-90's compact American cars.
 
ildd
1998 Cadillac http://houston.craigslist.org/cto/4467295481.html (not extremely big)
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mustang fanatic
Hey guys. I've been looking for a first car lately, and I'm not sure what I should get. I want something pretty nice that I can drive around for a while, and get some experience in, until I can get something I really love. I want something that not everyone has, but not obscure either. I also don't want to have to throw a whole bunch of money into it. My budget would probably be around $5000 at this point.
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Azuremen
:lol:

You realize that is how much I paid for my M3? With no "makes a good project" tag on it?

Wish I was selling cars where you were, seriously.
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And a barely restored '67 Mustang is worth much more than your e36 M3... what's your point?
 

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