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Varmintmist
Posts: 8,305 Senior Member
Used cars
Varmintmist
Posts: 8,305 Senior Member
Any reccomendations?
Right now it has to be cheap, I need a year out of it, anything over that at this point would be great.
I have 2 friends who run cherokee's. One buys up at 150K and the other runs the wheels off of them. Both say that they are 300K cars IF taken care of. I found a Sport, 130K that sounds like a lifter is broken and you can tell the valve cover gasket is pretty new. (3200) and a Grand< 130K, that seems OK but needs shoes and a muffler for sure. The transmission is wet. I half think it was overfilled and it is coming out the vent because the whole thing is wet. It could use a valve cover gasket. (3500) Shifting seems positive but with no plate I was only able to do a parking lot test drive.
I am also looking at Subaru. They all have the same boxer engine and the only thing I have heard is that you can have a head gasket problem. It seemed to be common in 90's units. There are a couple Legacys and Outbacks with 150K ish on them at around 3 grand. I am going to look at a outback tonight if I can get off of work in time.
I see some VW's out there and there is a Cabrio pretty cheap, had 1800 written on the window, that would definetly cover the gas mileage requirment, but I know jack about VW's since the 70's bugs and the Thing.
I havent had to buy a well used car in a long time and I am getting sticker shock and I really dont know what I am looking at.
Right now it has to be cheap, I need a year out of it, anything over that at this point would be great.
I have 2 friends who run cherokee's. One buys up at 150K and the other runs the wheels off of them. Both say that they are 300K cars IF taken care of. I found a Sport, 130K that sounds like a lifter is broken and you can tell the valve cover gasket is pretty new. (3200) and a Grand< 130K, that seems OK but needs shoes and a muffler for sure. The transmission is wet. I half think it was overfilled and it is coming out the vent because the whole thing is wet. It could use a valve cover gasket. (3500) Shifting seems positive but with no plate I was only able to do a parking lot test drive.
I am also looking at Subaru. They all have the same boxer engine and the only thing I have heard is that you can have a head gasket problem. It seemed to be common in 90's units. There are a couple Legacys and Outbacks with 150K ish on them at around 3 grand. I am going to look at a outback tonight if I can get off of work in time.
I see some VW's out there and there is a Cabrio pretty cheap, had 1800 written on the window, that would definetly cover the gas mileage requirment, but I know jack about VW's since the 70's bugs and the Thing.
I havent had to buy a well used car in a long time and I am getting sticker shock and I really dont know what I am looking at.
It's boring, and your lack of creativity knows no bounds.
Replies
I love Jeep, but I don't know that I would buy a used one unless it came with a warranty. To much that could be wrong if they weren't maintained. VWs are expensive to maintain. Have you looked at Toyotas or Nissans. Both of those their SUVs also have great driving life. You might pay a little more, but it will be worth it in the end.
D
Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.... now who's bringing the hot wings? :jester:
Undersized belt tensioner bearings, and electrical problems galore.
At least, that was my experience - 20 years apart!
-Mikhail Kalashnikov
Case and point.. Just passed me on the highway
Maybe you can find a nice lesbian couple who wants to upgrade and kept theirs dealer maintained, but hardly any Blue Book value :tooth:
Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
Unless I can find a reason to not buy it by tomorrow AM, I am giving him a call.
Remember, there is a good chance that I will have to send a 2015 z06 vette to Uncle Sugar. Once that part is over, life will be better, 100% debt free, until then, parsimonious is the word of the day, every day for the next 6 months. I wanted to spend ZERO on a vehicle until this mess was over. She gets what I am willing to spend. The plan was to look next spring/summer for something a little nicer, that went into the bridge.
Recoil is how you know primer ignition is complete.
As it being a used car? I know the real warrantee is ten feet or ten seconds whichever comes first, so anything you buy is a crap shoot. From crawling under a lot in the last 10 days and putting my fingers through floors and wiping **** fluid off my hands, this one makes me feel better than anything yet. I would love to get her a late model, but right now, it aint gonna happen.
........and just got today
2006 Cobalt w/ 160,000 miles, no rust. $2700.
I need to put in a heater motor and rear (drum) brakes tomorrow.....
Stepson in pittsburgh (who's car got sold) made a deal with his mother. He's buying this one. She has access to his bank account and will take out $$$ every week until it is paid off.
We've been looking for 2 weeks. Was trying for closer to $2000 but couldn't find anything worth a crap for that. He wanted a Ranger, but every one I looked at had holes in floors and rusted and/or cracked frames. Couldn't believe the rust on the $4000-$6000 cars on dealer lots!!!
Exactly, rust galore and nothing cheap. Rangers are insane. 94 s for ten k, and look a deal, 5k and 120k mi, with just a few holes in the frame and needs transmission.
I grew up poor, dont want to go back
Glorified Fords from this era.
Scour your local newspaper and used car websites for an older luxury car being offered by a private seller. You'll pay a lot less with a private party than you would through a dealer. I have bought 7 Lincolns in the last 30 years, 5 of them from private sellers, all located in the most prestigious areas of town, where the average house value far exceeds 6 figures. In each of those 5 purchases, the owner/seller was happy to produce receipts for all maintenance and repairs. All that I had to do was run the VIN through Carfax, and Happy Motoring!
My current daily driver is a 1997 Lincoln Mark VIII. I bought it in January with 84,000 miles (not bad for a 17 year old car), in excellent condition inside and out. $3,600 out the door. All maintenance records, including the original sticker ($38,800 in 1997 = $55,000 today). Knock yourself out trying to find a quality, well maintained, excellent condition used car for that price. This is my 3rd Mark VIII. (I've also owned 4 Town Cars). I enjoy a fully loaded luxury coupe in excellent condition, with JBL sound, leather, full power everything and it all works, and a lovely 4.6 liter, 290 HP, 32 valve Cobra V8 engine that gets an honest 17/27 MPG. It would've been a bargain at twice the price. Did I say it's reliable? In 10 months of ownership, I sprang for a new serpentine belt, a new battery, and yes, an alternator. It came with almost new tires so I'm still way ahead of the game.
Check AutoTrader, Cars.com. and so forth. You'll see these gems for as little as I paid, up to over $10K (with extremely low mileage). Look also for Eldorados, Rivieras, DeVilles, DTSs, Town Cars, Navigators, and Escalades. You'll be surprised at how little it takes to acquire a top of the line ride. It'll be old, and probably have high mileage, but who cares? As location, location, location is to real estate, condition, condition, condition is to used cars. Enjoy.
I've found that anything around here at a dealership and in DECENT shape (no rust, dents, mostly working accessories) is pretty much in the 8K-9K range. YMMV.
George Carlin
But you feep better putting parts in a car that isn't a rust bucket to begin with
Went and got $50 specials at the Wallyworld.
Never did drum brakes with springs (#9) like this before..........
What a pain in the butt!
Jerry
Yep. The first time I ran across a set like that is when I figured out the value of 'specific' tools. I don't have that particular tool, but I have something close enough that did the job just fine! I used a big hook to pull the spring away from the shoe and pulled the shoes open, viola!
George Carlin