My First Ride

[matt41]

Hey guys, so it is getting to be that time where I should start getting ideas of which car to purchase as my first one. I am turning sixteen in a few months (when I get my permit; a little early to look, yes, but it doesn't hurt), and I need to get a job, haha. I have about 1800 in the bank (not too terrible for someone my age) and I need to be able to afford insurance plus the car. Does anyone have a good idea of a cheap, reliable car that is also sporty and fuel-efficient (at least twenty-two mpg)? Thanks in advance, your guys' opinions really help!

[Camino LS6]

Narrow it down a bit for us.

What do you like?

[Satty]

Cheap+reliable+efficient=late 80's Honda Accord

[Intrepidation]

Yeah, narrow it down a bit...do you have any brand perferences or exclusions? Body styles of choice?

22mpg is a curious number to aim for.

[Camino LS6]

Cheap+reliable+efficient=late 80's Honda Accord

He did say "sporty" as well.

So that won't quite do it.

[Intrepidation]

Unmolested Prelude?

I always had a thing for these cars. They would go great with an Eagle Vision.

[Satty]

Those late 80's/early 90's Accords were pretty sporty. Great handlers. There are a few rough ones on eBay for cheap. A similar vintage Prelude would fit the criteria as well.

[Intrepidation]

On that note, Visions were the sportiest of all the first gen LH cars...they had unique suspension tuning.

However reliability of the first gens is hit or miss.

[Satty]

How many of those did they make? Like 8? Thats a gutsy recommendation since they're impossible to find. I haven't seen one, or any Eagle, in years.

[Intrepidation]

How many of those did they make? Like 8? Thats a gutsy recommendation since they're impossible to find. I haven't seen one, or any Eagle, in years.

There's a red one down the street from me. I can see it from my house.

Oh and there's another one the next town over. Always thought it was interesting because their neighbors have a first gen Intrepid.

Yes they are rare compared to the other LH cars though.

[Satty]

There is one on eBay!

[Intrepidation]

Nice....4 whole photos.

[loki]

any w-body with a series 1 3800

any w-body with a 3.1L that has been "fixed" ..the intake manifold gasket.

option 1, if they're in decent shape shouldn't be more than 2500.. or so...

option 2, could be as high as 5K but prolly closer to 3K.

i know mine are "lame" but they would be good for a first time owner.

[Satty]

Screw the Vision, this is an Eagle worthy of lust.

[Intrepidation]

I love those thing! They're so quirky...that's the world's first sport utility wagon.

There's also one of those down the street from me.

[Camino LS6]

I'd say go on a granny car hunt.

-Low miles

- Old

- probably garaged

- well maintained

-Cheap

[vonVeezelsnider]

W-Body Century... hands down.

[Satty]

16 year olds never want the granny car, but thats probably their best option in the short and long term.

[Camino LS6]

16 year olds never want the granny car, but thats probably their best option in the short and long term.

You have to find the right granny. :AH-HA_wink:

[FAPTurbo]

I'd go with an Accord from the late eighties; they get good economy, and they can be fun to drive around. But even then, it'd be better if you saved your change, until you get more cash in your savings account. Unless you REALLY need to have the car now, you can do much better if you wait.

[Intrepidation]

Getting an 80's Accord on the cheap also mean you don't feel bad if you ding it up.

[Satty]

W-Body Century... hands down.

After I wrecked my Dakota, I got my dad's '96 (A-body) Century when he bought the Sebring. That damned Buick ran forever. It wound up with over 210,000 miles when I traded it in on my Saturn. Original head gasket, original transmission. Only thing un-original was the driver's side of the bench seat. The spider gear broke and the seat stayed fully reclined. Got a replacement from the junkyard, cheap and easy. A Century/Regal/Cutlass Ciera/Cutlass/Malibu would be a decent choice as well.

[Satty]

Getting an 80's Accord on the cheap also mean you don't feel bad if you ding it up.

My brother-in-laws '92 has 230k on it. Second gear went out while I was driving it, but 1st, 3rd, 4th and 5th still work and he drives it quite a bit. Most of the parts are cheap, and its pretty easy to work on.

[Camino LS6]

Shoot for old and low mile rather than newer and high mile.

Parts get expensive fast.

[Satty]

Not sure how I forgot this, but go with an 80's b-body. My wagon was $500. Keeping it running has cost less than $500. Insuring it is less than $40/month. Taking the engine swap and slight restoration into account, I've still got less than $2500 invested. It was getting 15mpg, which isn't great, but not that bad for a carbureted V8/4-speed automatic, 4500 pound wagon.

[Intrepidation]

90's Corollas/Prizms are pretty good to. Not bad looking either for what they are.

Ours had a transmission issue (gear synchronize) but that seems to be pretty rare...even then we could still drive it...just 1, 2, 5, and R until we replaced it.

Also replaced the master and slave cylinders shortly after the transmission was replaced.

The door handles are cheapy and have a habit of braking easily, but if it happens they are easy to replace and cheap if you get the from the junkyard.

Only thing to watch out for is the exhaust manifolds on the 1.6 models. They are notorious for cracking...but again...not major issue and the part is cheap used. I think $50 used but $260 new...so you can haggle if it's cracked.

Besides that, it's been good to us for 189,000 miles and counting... AC and all the accessories work.

[Camino LS6]

Not sure how I forgot this, but go with an 80's b-body. My wagon was $500. Keeping it running has cost less than $500. Insuring it is less than $40/month. Taking the engine swap and slight restoration into account, I've still got less than $2500 invested. It was getting 15mpg, which isn't great, but not that bad for a carbureted V8/4-speed automatic, 4500 pound wagon.

I didn't want to go there, because youngsters and carbs don't really mix.

[pow]

Volvo 240. RWD, and it's a tank.

[Satty]

I didn't want to go there, because youngsters and carbs don't really mix.

If they cant get it running, they shouldn't be driving.

[matt41]

Thanks, yea my preference would be a coupe or small SUV. within the single digit range would be nice 2 haha

[Camino LS6]

If they cant get it running, they shouldn't be driving.

Satty plays mean dad!

[Intrepidation]

80's Accord coupe.

[Blake Noble]

With that much dinero in hand, expect something like this: http://louisville.craigslist.org/ctd/1115301440.html

Or how about a rare Harlequin Edition F-150? http://louisville.craigslist.org/ctd/1115297568.html

This Ford Bronco definitely bucks: http://louisville.craigslist.org/ctd/1115293668.html

And this is one classy, ziggin' Caddy: http://louisville.craigslist.org/ctd/1115284905.html

Perhaps you wanna buy yourself a Mercury and cruise up and down the road? http://louisville.craigslist.org/ctd/1115279705.html

Do you wanna be a man and drive a five-speed? http://louisville.craigslist.org/cto/1115024498.html

Maybe you want to play cowboy and drive a pickup truck? http://louisville.craigslist.org/ctd/1114996496.html

I don't suppose you spend a lot of time around parks and playgrounds, do ya? http://louisville.craigslist.org/cto/1114899432.html

Hey, I found some bling-bling for a small budget: http://louisville.craigslist.org/cto/1114869793.html

Best watch out for this 'un. I heard she'll grawl atche: http://louisville.craigslist.org/cto/1114823511.html

Affordable EXCITEMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's a hot set of wheels that will leave ya with money left to burn: http://louisville.craigslist.org/cto/1113838161.html

More affordable EXCITEMENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now we're cookin: http://louisville.craigslist.org/cto/1110521226.html

[pow]

Volvo 240 coupe

[Satty]

Satty plays mean dad!

My son is going to get the LeSabre when he turns 16, for the next 13.5 years he'll be helping restore it and learning how to fix it.

[Intrepidation]

[Satty]

Hopefully between now and then, it'll get a paint job.

[Blake Noble]

Here's a more serious thought: http://louisville.craigslist.org/cto/1115325379.html

An old Crown Vic Interceptor is pretty cheap, has a decent V8, and will run forever. It's not a coupe, but it's good, reliable transportation that, with a little work, could be made into a decent looking car.

Another thought: http://louisville.craigslist.org/cto/1113694234.html

A Cavalier Z24 isn't the most desirable car in the world, but it'll do for a first set of wheels for the amount of money you have to spend.

Edited April 10, 2009 by YellowJacket894

[Satty]

+1 on the CV, with a bit of money later on, they can be made to haul ass

[Intrepidation]

Take it from me, those things are tanks...they just keep going and going (just not in reverse in our case)

[Oracle of Delphi]

Here's a more serious thought: http://louisville.craigslist.org/cto/1115325379.html

An old Crown Vic Interceptor is pretty cheap, has a decent V8, and will run forever. It's not a coupe, but it's good, reliable transportation that, with a little work, could be made into a decent looking car.

Just remember, you get what you pay for, there was some controversy and lawsuits in the 1990s over Ford Crown Victoria gas tank leaks after certain types of high speed impacts, specifically when being hit in the rear end at high speeds.

[Intrepidation]

There's a fix for that, I think von posted it in my showcase thread about the Grand Marquis.

[FAPTurbo]

Volvo 240. RWD, and it's a tank.

This is another very good suggestion. I got my Volvo 240 for an even grand, and it still drives well with a ton of mileage.

[mustang84]

Early-mid 90s W-bodies equipped with the 3.1L are generally not too troublesome, can rack up high miles, have decent interior space, and really don't look too bad if you get a sportier trim. Insurance is pretty cheap too. My Lumina gets 22-24 mpg on the highway, and about 19 in town. You can find them in good to fair shape for under $1000, and parts for W-bodies are readily available.

Edited April 10, 2009 by mustang84

[Camino LS6]

My son is going to get the LeSabre when he turns 16, for the next 13.5 years he'll be helping restore it and learning how to fix it.

That's an awesome thing to do, Satty.

You have my respect for that in a big way.

[Intrepidation]

Satty, you should post photos of it.

[mustang84]

Hopefully between now and then, it'll get a paint job.

Keeping it clean & pristine, or are you looking to spice it up a little?

[Camino LS6]

Keeping it clean & pristine, or are you looking to spice it up a little?

I'm really liking that!

[Satty]

I'm thinking I'll repaint it the same color brown and put a fresh woodgrain applique on it. However, that black wagon is pretty hot. Either way, there is some body work that will have to be done first. A couple small rust spots below the rear windows and at the bottom of one of the doors, and I've got to figure out how to fix this:

I've also considered the possibility that between now and 2022, it'll need a new transmission and rear-end, and since all that will be out, it wouldn't be a terrible idea to just pull the 307 I'm going to put in and replace the whole drivetrain with something a wee bit hotter.

[GMTruckGuy74]

Keeping it clean & pristine, or are you looking to spice it up a little?

Boy, that gives me an idea - find one of those wagons and install an Olds Cutlass Supreme coupe front end on it and make it a 442 Wagon. Now there's a phantom idea (hey Camino, wanna try this?).