$3K, which old car should I buy?

[paqman]

EDIT: Skip down a few posts to the one with the pics of the white Mustang GT. Since this first post, my price range has increased to $5k-$7k, and I've change my mind to a 1999-2004 Mustang GT. :-)

Sadly, tonight I was t-boned and my beloved 2001 Maxima doesn't look like she's going to make it. There is a slight chance that she won't be totaled out (here's hoping), but I'm not so sure. Anyway, I'll find out tomorrow morning when it gets towed to the repair shop.

But my question is in the event it does get totaled out. I'll probably get about $5,000 for it. Unfortunately, this money will come at a time we desperately need it to fix a crack in our carport, so I'm going to be stuck with only about $3000 to buy a replacement car. We just bought a 2007 Toyota Sienna, so we don't want to add another payment right now.

So I decided I'm going to have fun with this one. Rather than buying a 1997 Sentra with 130,000 miles on it, or a Corolla or something boring like that, I wanna buy a decent running older car. Something that could possibly be a restoration project in the future, but it's got to be running and legal right now, and I'm hoping for something reliable.

I had my sights set on a Datsun 280z or something similar, and there are a few of those around for that price, but what other suggestions would you make?

What interesting car purchases can I make with $3000? This will just be a commuter for now, possible project later. Yes, I have kids, but we have the mini van for them. So I don't mind if it's a two seater or whatever. AC would be a plus, but not a requirement. I've lived without it before, I can do it again.

[paqman]

Ok turns out I don't have to save some of the money, so I can put all $5K towards a car. Any suggestions now?

[Shpuker]

Originally Posted by paqman

Ok turns out I don't have to save some of the money, so I can put all $5K towards a car. Any suggestions now?

The 280's are sweet old cars, Not sure I'd trust one as a DD though. With 5k you could probably find an 80's Camaro (nothin nice to look at but their easy to get goin fast), and old Audi Quatttro (fun and better to look at than the Camaro but expensive to fix and get parts), or a late 80's BMW 3 series (fun little cars), just wana warn you though almost every project car someone starts heads south pretty quickly. Costs more than you'd expect. If I was ogna suggest something semi fun for a good DD at around 3-5k I'd say go find a Cadillac Catera. RWD cars ftw

[paqman]

Originally Posted by Shpuker

The 280's are sweet old cars, Not sure I'd trust one as a DD though. With 5k you could probably find an 80's Camaro (nothin nice to look at but their easy to get goin fast), and old Audi Quatttro (fun and better to look at than the Camaro but expensive to fix and get parts), or a late 80's BMW 3 series (fun little cars), just wana warn you though almost every project car someone starts heads south pretty quickly. Costs more than you'd expect. If I was ogna suggest something semi fun for a good DD at around 3-5k I'd say go find a Cadillac Catera. RWD cars ftw

Thanks that's awesome advice. Maybe I'll save the Z for a day when I can have it as a toy and not a daily driver. And while living Utah dictates that I should NOT get a RWD car as a DD either, it would be loads of fun. Honestly, my daily driver doesn't get a lot of miles on it, as all it does is carry me to work and back, which is 10 minutes each way, and during the summer I commute by bike 2 or three days a week. So whatever I choose isn't going to get a tone of miles anyway. And I don't take it very far.

But I have actually been looking at the other ones you mentioned as well. I've found some decent 10-12 year old Audi's and BMW's for under $5K on the local online classifieds.

Then on the flip side, I'm also realizing that we have always wanted a little pickup, because we're always borrowing one from someone, and for my price range, I can find a decent Tacoma or Ranger that would work fine as a daily driver, and would probably be a great DD for the days down the road when I do get my toy car.

Or I could go with this, lol.

[paqman]

What about this '87 Trans Am for $4200?
80K miles, and they say it runs and drives great.

[Shpuker]

Originally Posted by paqman

Thanks that's awesome advice. Maybe I'll save the Z for a day when I can have it as a toy and not a daily driver. And while living Utah dictates that I should NOT get a RWD car as a DD either, it would be loads of fun. Honestly, my daily driver doesn't get a lot of miles on it, as all it does is carry me to work and back, which is 10 minutes each way, and during the summer I commute by bike 2 or three days a week. So whatever I choose isn't going to get a tone of miles anyway. And I don't take it very far.

But I have actually been looking at the other ones you mentioned as well. I've found some decent 10-12 year old Audi's and BMW's for under $5K on the local online classifieds.

Then on the flip side, I'm also realizing that we have always wanted a little pickup, because we're always borrowing one from someone, and for my price range, I can find a decent Tacoma or Ranger that would work fine as a daily driver, and would probably be a great DD for the days down the road when I do get my toy car.

Or I could go with this, lol.

lol Jags are even worse than the Germen cars to maintain

That is true about the living in Utah part. Might be a little inconvenient.

I can't imagine your ogna find a little truck in very good condition for the 3-5k range, but if you do then that'd be a great option for the snow (a 4wd one that is). A 2wd pickup however is probably the worst vehicle ever in the snow. (no weight in the back end)

a 10-12 year old BMW, Audi, Mercedes, or any of those types of cars would be fun and nice to drive around but you just gotta watch out for maintenance costs again. Good luck

Originally Posted by paqman

What about this '87 Trans Am for $4200?
80K miles, and they say it runs and drives great.

If its legit its a pretty good deal and if you can live with a rwd car in Utah its a pretty good deal

[paqman]

Originally Posted by Shpuker

lol Jags are even worse than the Germen cars to maintain

That is true about the living in Utah part. Might be a little inconvenient.

I can't imagine your ogna find a little truck in very good condition for the 3-5k range, but if you do then that'd be a great option for the snow (a 4wd one that is). A 2wd pickup however is probably the worst vehicle ever in the snow. (no weight in the back end)

a 10-12 year old BMW, Audi, Mercedes, or any of those types of cars would be fun and nice to drive around but you just gotta watch out for maintenance costs again. Good luck




If its legit its a pretty good deal and if you can live with a rwd car in Utah its a pretty good deal

Yeah, the Jag thing was a joke, I wouldn't consider it. Iv'e found quite a few 10 to 15 year old Tacomas and Rangers for around $5K, they've got kind of high miles, but they might work. I wouldn't go for a 2WD truck here either, you're right. I've also kind of ruled out the BMW's and Audi's because of the maintenance costs.

So I'm down to looking at some Z's and other little sports cars. The rear wheel drive is something I'm probably going to be willing to deal with, because if I'm not then I'm either stuck with a 4X4 truck, or a boring front wheel drive car. I wish my Maxima hadn't been smashed up.

[MagicRat]

Interesting discussion.
Over the years, I have owned vintage (1977+) Trans Ams, 302 Mustangs, BMW's, a Supra and have driven some Z-cars and RX-7.

Back in the 80's, I was a big patriotic supporter of the domestic car industry, but I changed my mind after driving some import sporty cars. I was astounded at how crude and disconnected the domestic sporty cars felt by comparison.

I like the Mustangs, Camaros and T/A's (especially the retro-cool 70's versions) for the torque acceleration, cheap parts and ease of repair

But, for older, '80's cars, I prefer the imports for a superior overall driving experience. They are more refined, better handling and altogether better for a sporty, responsive driving experience. My favorite is the Mark II Supra, (I own one these days). In the early '80's, all the car magazines stated it was better then the 280-Z, RX-7's, Starion, etc.

Here is a detailed reivew of my Supra
http://www.carsurvey.org/reviews/toyota/supra/r91087/

I prefer the Japanese sporty cars to European, because parts and support are, imo cheaper and easier to get. But an excellent BMW should be considered...

Also I can understand that some models may not be available. At that price, don't be so picky about the model. Look at the 280-Z, RX-7, Supra (P-type, not L-type), MR-2, BMW, Camaro, or T/A, and buy the best one you can afford.

As for pick-up trucks, I much prefer the older Chevy S-10's over the Ranger. The 4.3 V6/5-spd combo is terrific, and they had better front suspension and steering than the Ford Ranger of the day. The S-10, especially the 2wd model is pretty good stock, and can be made to handle quite well.... for a pick up.

[paqman]

Originally Posted by MagicRat

Interesting discussion.
Over the years, I have owned vintage (1977+) Trans Ams, 302 Mustangs, BMW's, a Supra and have driven some Z-cars and RX-7.

Back in the 80's, I was a big patriotic supporter of the domestic car industry, but I changed my mind after driving some import sporty cars. I was astounded at how crude and disconnected the domestic sporty cars felt by comparison.

I like the Mustangs, Camaros and T/A's (especially the retro-cool 70's versions) for the torque acceleration, cheap parts and ease of repair

But, for older, '80's cars, I prefer the imports for a superior overall driving experience. They are more refined, better handling and altogether better for a sporty, responsive driving experience. My favorite is the Mark II Supra, (I own one these days). In the early '80's, all the car magazines stated it was better then the 280-Z, RX-7's, Starion, etc.

Here is a detailed reivew of my Supra
http://www.carsurvey.org/reviews/toyota/supra/r91087/

I prefer the Japanese sporty cars to European, because parts and support are, imo cheaper and easier to get. But an excellent BMW should be considered...

Also I can understand that some models may not be available. At that price, don't be so picky about the model. Look at the 280-Z, RX-7, Supra (P-type, not L-type), MR-2, BMW, Camaro, or T/A, and buy the best one you can afford.

As for pick-up trucks, I much prefer the older Chevy S-10's over the Ranger. The 4.3 V6/5-spd combo is terrific, and they had better front suspension and steering than the Ford Ranger of the day. The S-10, especially the 2wd model is pretty good stock, and can be made to handle quite well.... for a pick up.

Thanks, that's great info. This thread is becoming really informative, and is helping me take more time and take more cars into consideration.

As a side note, how about this 1991 Corvette I just found with 89K miles going for $6K? (more images and info at the link)

[MagicRat]

Corvette valves tend to follow a predictable depreciation curve. At about 18-20 years their vales have pretty much bottomed-out. So if you pick up the vette, it will hold its value, so long as its maintained.

Personally, I would go for the Vette, so long as the insurance is affordable.

[paqman]

Originally Posted by MagicRat

Corvette valves tend to follow a predictable depreciation curve. At about 18-20 years their vales have pretty much bottomed-out. So if you pick up the vette, it will hold its value, so long as its maintained.

Personally, I would go for the Vette, so long as the insurance is affordable.

Lol yeah insurance is the part I haven't really looked at yet. If I'm honest with myself, a Vette is a little lofty for me right now, but a guy can dream.

[Shpuker]

Originally Posted by paqman

Lol yeah insurance is the part I haven't really looked at yet. If I'm honest with myself, a Vette is a little lofty for me right now, but a guy can dream.

To true.

I'd look into that before you start lookin into the cars themselves too much. Get you lookin in the right direction.

[paqman]

Originally Posted by Shpuker

To true.

I'd look into that before you start lookin into the cars themselves too much. Get you lookin in the right direction.

Eh, don't worry, I'll take care of the insurance part. I'm dropping the full coverage on my Maxima and will be replacing it for full coverage on whatever I buy, if it increases a bit, it's not a huge deal, and I have a great agent that always gets me a pretty good deal. Besides, if I based my decision on the insurance premium, I'd end up in a Corolla.

[Shpuker]

Originally Posted by paqman

Eh, don't worry, I'll take care of the insurance part. I'm dropping the full coverage on my Maxima and will be replacing it for full coverage on whatever I buy, if it increases a bit, it's not a huge deal, and I have a great agent that always gets me a pretty good deal. Besides, if I based my decision on the insurance premium, I'd end up in a Corolla.

Not saying you should base it on that. But having an idea of what fun cars are the best value in terms of everyday cost doesn't hurt. If you wait till you find a car you wont know if an equal car thats priced $500-600 more will save you that or more a year on insurance.

[carbuyhelp]

I'd like to say MagicRat's suggestions are good ones.

But I guess in the whole buying process, what you should do is look in listings and choose some candidates. If you have four or five cars that you like, research about how these cars perform and read reviews about maintenance costs etc.

But with your repair cost concerns, Japanese and American cars have cheaper parts than European cars.

I have looked at some listing in Utah and found these cars within 4K to 5K that you might find good to buy: 2005 Toyota Solara SE, 2003 Chevy Cavalier LS or if you are looking for a vehicle with lots of power like you would find in a truck and lots of room like you would find in an SUV, I suggest you get the 2001 Ford Expedition 4x4 XLT. Not to mention, this is one of the safest vehicles that earned an award from the federal government after it passed so many crash tests.

But anyway, there are so many nice cars out there within your 5K budget. Just have a mechanic check it and check the vehicle's history so you will not end up with a piece of junk.