Need a unique beater car

B

BoxsterCharlie

New member
Hi Guys,



At this point my car collection is down to my wife's MINI Cooper S and my gigantic Chevy Express van. Don't plan to sell either one. I might be taking a job soon that I will need a commuter car for cheap.



I definitely want a front-engine, rear drive, 4 door sedan, because I've never owned one. Something between $3K and $10K, and get decent gas mileage.



Right now I'm thinking about a late E30 (1989-91) BMW 3 Series, but I wouldn't mind something a little bigger or a little newer (or older). I'd prefer stick shift but I'm open to an automatic if it "fits" the style of the car.



Bonus points for weird ideas. :)
 
You need an older Miata. Too much fun to drive!



Scads of them (90-93) available for $3-6000, with less than 70k. Spend another $1200 for a real tune, t-belt, fluids, tires, and you've got a car that'll go 30,000 miles without attention (save oil changes).



Course, there's no room in it. And you'll spend another $5,000 on suspension mods.



And you'll still be waiting for Spring, when you hope you can afford the $6,000 Turbo (and clutch).



And you still won't have room for more than one grocery bag...



Cool cars.



Jim



I get at least 15 points. If you liked the Boxster...
 
I'd say the E30 will fit your needs very well. Another consideration might be an Alfa Romeo 164. Reliability might be a questionable point though, as would availability of service and parts (although there are probably independent mechanics that would be able to work on the car). I believe they're rear drive, although I might be wrong.





Mike
 
If you're not opposed to american cars, I've always wanted a 94-96 Impala SS.... granted, they're friggin boats, but they're built and run like tanks. You can find semi-high mileage ones for cheap.



Other than that, I'd say an E30 or older diesel mercedes would be ideal. :xyxthumbs
 
Malibu said:
I'd say the E30 will fit your needs very well. Another consideration might be an Alfa Romeo 164. Reliability might be a questionable point though, as would availability of service and parts (although there are probably independent mechanics that would be able to work on the car). I believe they're rear drive, although I might be wrong.





Mike
Click to expand...



The Alfa 164 is FWD but I second this idea if Boxster Charlie can live w/FWD. Wanted one badly when they were in production. Built on same platform as Saab 9000 another nice choice. Both depreciated like rocks and so can be had very cheaply if you can find one in good condition.



For RWD, I suggest a 240SX. Not a 4D sedan but has a lot of cargo capacity and cheap. Money left over can be spent on an SR20, turbo kit, etc.
 
The Alfa 164 is FWD, based on the Saab 9000 platform, actually. Still a great car, love their interpretation of "tan" leather (it really jumps out at you).



Other potential choices:



1988 M5

Most any Toyota Cressida (with turbo engine transplant)

Galant VR-4 (yeah, AWD not RWD)

Mazda 323 GTX AWD (oops, 2-doors)

1993-94 Lexus GS300

Early Lexus LS400

Mercedes 190e 2.3-16v

Mercedes 300E 3.2 (early 90s)

Infiniti J30

Infiniti Q45



Actually, reliability and fuel economy should perhaps be top priority for a commuter car, but unfortunately, all I can see are previous-gen Civics and Corollas. I'm guessing you want something with a little passion, though.
 
The Alfa Romeo 164 sounds really cool. Even though it is FWD, its being Italian adds an exotic twist which works. Plus, it looks a little more substantial than the E30, which is a little on the small side (though the 5 series seems too big for my taste).



Miata is a blast to drive, but leaves me driving my van or stuffing people into the MINI when I have passengers.



Diesel Mercedes sounds interesting. American cars are out because they are too common, and usually FWD. I do understand that you can get a killer deal on very solid cars like the Alero.



Great list, 92MX83. I'll have to go through those and see if anything jumps out at me, maybe the Infinitis--they are seem undervalued in the market.



Sacramento seems to have lots of quality shops for quirky makes. I think I even drove past an Alfa specialist yesterday. I should stop by and talk to them, since I understand that when you buy Italian you are really buying a mechanic as well! :)
 
BoxsterCharlie said:
I'll have to go through those and see if anything jumps out at me, maybe the Infinitis--they are seem undervalued in the market.
Click to expand...



BTW, Charlie, if you go for a 1st-gen Q45, make sure you get a 1994 or newer. Nissan managed to work a few bugs out by then.



My friend owned one for a few years; never had any problems, other than its healthy appetite for 92-octane. Very BMW-like driving experience, and substantial aftermarket support. They look great in dark colors.



And yes, they are steeply undervalued.
 
I'd go with a used cop car. Cheap, easy to fix and most have been properly maintained. May have a few miles on them though. Get either white, black or dark blue so it looks like an undercover car. No one will block the left lane when you come up behind them.
 
Jimmy Buffit said:
You need an older Miata. Too much fun to drive!



Scads of them (90-93) available for $3-6000, with less than 70k. Spend another $1200 for a real tune, t-belt, fluids, tires, and you've got a car that'll go 30,000 miles without attention (save oil changes).



Course, there's no room in it. And you'll spend another $5,000 on suspension mods.



And you'll still be waiting for Spring, when you hope you can afford the $6,000 Turbo (and clutch).



And you still won't have room for more than one grocery bag...



Cool cars.



Jim
Click to expand...



He already has the Mini for his wife. Why buy her another car? I'd go with the E30.
 
Sounds like you don't really want such a thing, but I'm with ScottWax (and basically the same advice as Shiny Lil Detlr too).



Used copcars are very practical, especially for business use. Better mileage than you'd expect and very reliable. Cheap, lotta car for the money. And anybody who says aCaprice 9C1 isn't fun to drive hasn't had one on a track to really learn what they're capable of. Even with the S8 as my "good" car, I have a blast every time I take one of the Caprices out for an errand. On public roads, they're more fun than my Mallett C5 was.



Heh heh, I recently sold a '98 M3 and bought another Caprice ;) And yeah, I've tracked Bimmers too, so I know what *they* can do, much of which you can't appreciate off the track.
 
Sounds like a big sedan fits in with your van and Mini.



I vote for a Q45 or LS400. Q45s are a better deal but are more cramped and rougher riding, but also better "driving" cars than the LS400s, in the sense of BMW. If I could have been more comfortable in it, I would have gotten a 1999 Q45 which is more Lexus like and was darned cheap.



Me, I hate all Bimmers and small, sporty cars. I love the quietness and smoothness of the LS400. I just got it (1995 with under 95K miles for $8800) recently and it has plenty of space for a big (6'5) guy like me. The v8 has plenty of power but it is the anti-sports car. It always feels like you're cruising in your living room couch no matter how fast you go. After nearly a month, it's been flawless. Passed both the state inspections and the Lexus mechanic inspections that I paid for with flying colors. It's so unbelievably well put together that this 9 year old car feels tighter and more solid than most newer mid priced sedans. I'm never going back to mundane Hondas, Toyotas or Fords. And the Nakamichi stereo is a plus -- borderline decent (In this audiophile's view only the Mark Levinson car stereo counts as "good" among stock car stereos.)



And the timeless (some say, boring) styling will still look good, when flashier cars look dated.



:cool:
 
I am an owner (wife's daily driver) of a 94 LS400 for 11 years. Best vehicle we have ever owned. We plan to have it for another 11 years at least. :xyxthumbs
 
If you want to go back a couple of decades, an old datsun 510 could be pretty interesting. With that price range, you could find one that has been fairly restored and have some fun with it. Never driven one, but I think they look cool and can apparently take a beating.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top