Looking for a used car

[JE123]

Well I am currently looking for a used car. Possibly one in the 1990s. I know I want a manual with a reasonable amount of power. But my parents want me to get an General Motors car. If I get a Camaro the insurance is going to be outrageous, and I won't be able to afford it. I was wondering if anybody knew of any GM cars that come in manual transmission, and have a reasonable amount of power. I have been looking and can't find any.

We have owned GM cars for as long as I can remember. My parents say that they are more dependable than Japanese cars. They also say that if I get a Toyota, Mazda, or Honda the replacement parts are going to be hard to find and expensive. Is this true??? Are they any harder to find than parts for American cars???

[LadyBuickGS]

Off the top of my head...

Maybe a Chevy Cavalier Z24? I would think that some of them come in manual trans.

Even a Pontiac Grand Am might be nice for you. Maybe a GT?? And if you wanted more hsp, I believe they are pretty easy to modify.

I'm not sure if GM's are more dependable than Japanese cars... I think your parents are trying to talk you into buying American, because they don't want you buying a foreign car. (My parents are the same way, but my Dad secretly thinks that Japanese cars are superior. He can't tell that to my Mom because she'll flip out!)

Foreign car parts can be more expensive, but from my experiences foreign cars break down less often, than American cars.

In the past I've owned a Mazda and Nissan. I never had problems with hard to find parts. It probably depends on the age of the vehicle.

Good Luck on finding a car and I hope you get the right one for you.

[fatninja19]

most japenese cars like civics, integras, miata's, etc will not give you problems with hard to find parts. It may be more expensive to buy replacements than an american car, but the margin of price is very small. i cant think of any other GM's with manaul transmissions besides a camaro or firebird. Will your insurance shoot up if you get an 80's camaro/trans am? those things come wiht 5 spds, and aftermarket is huge.

[CAptynCrunch]

Ok, I'm sorry but your parents are full of it.

Is it cheaper to buy replacement parts for a domestic vehicle? sure, but thats cause there are thousands of old american cars lying around in scrap yards that machine shops can haul the parts out of.

But, is it really that much more exspensive to buy parts for a japanese vehicle? No. Hell, since it's a used car and it doesn't have a warranty then theres no reason to be buying new parts from the dealer so you should just buy used/refurbished parts and they'll cost you the same for any type of car.

[Tom_S8]

buy a camaro , firebird or a trans am... this is the only choic for GM sports car with manual trans... or a corvette :toothless

[dbartoschek]

first of all, corvettes are sweet!
you can always get a Saturn SC2 lol
0-100km/h in 9 sec.................
or go for the Grand Prix.........you'll get to 100km.h in 7.5 sec...with the 240hp Supercharged engine

those are about your only options..other then camaro and firebird

[Grendel]

Do they only want you getting GM, or do they just want you to get an American car?

If they just want you to get an american car, you might wanna look at Ford... some kid that went to my school a couple years ago had an Escort (i think) it had a 5 speed, and was turbocharged from the factory... quick little car.

-Grendel

[JE123]

I know I am going to get in a big argument with them about it.

I was looking at other American cars. The Ford Contour SVT caught my eye. It appears to be pretty fast right from the factory. But I asked them about it and they said that Fords weren't that reliable and shit like that.

[CAptynCrunch]

wait, i thought the SVT contour was only a concept vehicle? i didn't think they were actually going to make it. But either way, it would be damn exspensive. Is it you or your parents buying the car for you? if it's your parnets and they're willing to spend that much cash that just opens up a whole new range of vehicles.

[JE123]

It's going to be me buying this vehicle. I am still saving up my money.


Yeah the Contour SVT was released. There are some on eBay at the moment. Here is a link.

http://search.ebaymotors.com/search/...d&BasicSearch=

[fatninja19]

your link doesnt show anything useful.

[Cbass]

JE123, I don't want to say anything bad about your parents, but they are talking out of their asses. All manufactures make reliable cars(except for Trabant and Yugo). All manufactures also make unreliable cars. GM is no different.

The fact of the matter is, if you maintain a car properly, and know what to listen for, and when to replace filters and change the oil, you will have a reliable car. It doesn't matter whether it is German, Japanese, American or otherwise.

As for the Ford reliability issue, I have had a few Fords here at my household. They have all been mechanically sound. Even though my parents refuse to maintain their vehicles, they couldn't kill the LTD, and might not kill the Aerostar.

What are you looking for in a car? You want a manual right? Do you want to haul around people, a sports car, a truck? This should be the deciding factor in buying your car, not what brand it is. Determine your goals, and we can give you good suggestions.

[94svt5.0]

Originally posted by CAptynCrunch
wait, i thought the SVT contour was only a concept vehicle? i didn't think they were actually going to make it. But either way, it would be damn exspensive. Is it you or your parents buying the car for you? if it's your parnets and they're willing to spend that much cash that just opens up a whole new range of vehicles.

They made the contour svt in 1998 and 1999. It runs the 1/4 in low 15s

[Polygon]

I don't know, I am a little biased towards this car, but I feel that it fits what you are looking for. I would suggest a 1989 - 1990 Chrysler LeBaron GTC 5 Speed. Make sure that it has the Turbo 2 or Turbo 4. Here are some specs for you to chew on.

Price: $1,000-$5,000.
Weight: 2800 lbs.
Horsepower: 205.
Torque: 225.
Gas mileage: 25-40.
0-60: 6.5 seconds
1/4 mile: low to mid 14s.

I only pay $100 per month for mine in insurance for full coverage mainly because it is considered a luxury car and not a sports car. The 1/4 mile and 0-60 times are what the car is capable of stock. The best I have managed in mine was 0-60: 6.6, and 1/4 mile in 14.6 @ 98 mph. I get about 35 to 45 mpg driving 80 mph on the freeway. It is very easy to get these cars into the 12 second range in the 1/4 mile and I have heard of people getting them to run 9s. If you do that though don't plan on it being streetable. The engine is VERY reliable. I have 150,000 and I have had no real problems besides a blown head gasket at about 145,000 which is common with turbocharged cars. Same goes for the turbo, mine came with a Garrett T3 turbo and the original is still on my car pumping between 12-14 PSI. I you decide to buy one make sure that it has the Garrett T3 with an intercooler or the Turbo 4 which was also a Garrett turbo except it was a VNT "variable nozzle turbo" which greatly reduces turbo lag since it has two impellers, one for low speed and one for high speed. They are rare to find in great condition, hell they are hard to find at all. I did find a 90 GTC with the VNT turbo for around $2000 on autotrader.com recently though.

Good luck in finding the right car for you.