primitive shops for a junkie

[BattleHymn]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1018670306

Fri Sep 26, 2014, 10:24 PM  riderinthestorm (16,381 posts)

Any car junkies here? I could use some advice on a used car

My teens been driving the 99 Honda which finally gave up the ghost with a cracked U joint, stabilizer bars that broke off and other multiple failures structurally.

RIP Honda and on to used car shopping.

What a nightmare! I want to stay under $4k if possible because that's all the available cash I have and I don't want to finance. I know, I know, that's a small mount but a mechanically sound beater was fine for all of us when we started this adventure.

So one of the first cars we tried last week was this one:

http://chicago.craigslist.org/nwc/cto/4686689984.html

We'd gone and tried a Sensible Ford Escape but when the dealer learned we could drive a stick shift he brought this one out. Well she loved, loved it. Its bad ass. Of course I hate it. It's got that awful loud muffler as part of it and the most outrageous car radio ever. She knows I hate it.

Fast forward a week and we've probably driven a hundred cars. She's dutifully driven every boring suburban car I've suggested. Had 7 cars checked by the mechanic that were good prospects but they all failed for major reasons (one of them was so badly rusted underneath they couldn't even find structurally sound spots to put it on the lift! Lol)

Anyway so I finally caved and searched Craigslist for a Nissan Sentra Spec V in our price range and found two excellent prospects. I was planning on taking tomorrow OFF from shopping but now I'm not so sure if I should get off my ass and go shopping.

Sigh. I just hate this car. Will she be a target for the police? (She's a tiny cute blonde).

What say you DU parents? Go try these cars tomorrow or simply stay mum?

Fri Sep 26, 2014, 10:33 PM
Star Member NYC_SKP (61,787 posts)
1. I think your 99 Honda was a beater, beaten up, you gotta wonder about that.

And the one you're looking at is also a beater, a teen modder.

To wit:

Upgrades
NIsmo Intake
Header
Pioneer 7" Display/dvd player
Subs
2 12" Diamond Subs with 2 Diamond Amps

Buy a care from a working person with low miles and NO MODS, and it might last.

Fri Sep 26, 2014, 10:48 PM
riderinthestorm (16,381 posts)
3. The Honda was ours bought new in 99.

It didn't owe us anything. 289k miles, it was a workhorse but we are pretty meticulous about maintenance.

The Nissans I'd be going to look at have none of those modifications. They're $3500 obo (04 with 107k miles) and $3800 obo (04 with 88k miles)

The first one, (the one I linked to) is simply to demonstrate how she was ruined ever after this week as she sat in a procession of Chevys, Fords, Mazdas, Toyotas etc.... Lol.

My problem has been trying to find a "sound car" in this price range. The most promising was a Honda for $3800 (105k miles) but when it got on the lift, the entire exhaust system was dangerously bad and badly patched, the airco was leaking and needed replacing, the front spring was about to go, and parts of the stuff under the hood had been zip tied to hold them in place where the bolts had sheared off. It needed almost as much $ to repair as it would take to buy.   

It's been maddening.

I'm just worried about opening Pandora's box with this car. She's wild enough...

Gee.  I remember something happening in the last few years that took tens of thousands of serviceable vehicles off the road that were in the price range this primitive is shopping. 

Sat Sep 27, 2014, 10:44 AM
riderinthestorm (16,381 posts)
8. We love the Japanese cars. We pretty much ran the Honda ragged and it was excellent

The Nissan Sentra has similar ratings for reliability and fuel economy which is why I don't think I'm completely insane for even considering this.

Anyway, I did set up times to see both of them tomorrow. Neither person was around today which suits me. I'm really looking forward to not going anywhere today!!

[dixierose]

I bought a 2000 Hyundai from Goodwill for 2000.00 6 years ago. I bought it for my son, and it's been a great starter car. It's had to have some work like all older used cars; but it's been well worth the money.

The only negative about buying from Goodwill is that you cannot test drive the vehicle (their insurance doesn't allow it).

[Dori]

Last year I bought a '99 pathfinder for 1700 (which included all taxes and licenses) at the local auction.  Had it checked out by my mechanic and so far so good.   

[BattleHymn]

I try to extract as much life out of my daily drivers as possible, so I can justify spending money on keeping the "fun" cars around.  I stopped caring what they look like a few years ago. 

I like those Pathfinders, Dori.  I tried to talk my sister into one a few months back, but she ended up spending 10X what you did on something newer that she'll be making payments on.   

[fatboy]

I try to extract as much life out of my daily drivers as possible, so I can justify spending money on keeping the "fun" cars around.  I stopped caring what they look like a few years ago.

I try to do the same. My fun car is a 2011 MB C-300 4-matic. I put over 20K miles per year on it so to reduce the mileage I resurrected our 2002 Saturn VUE 2 weeks ago. Replaced the sway bar and sway bar ends, the right lower control arm/ball joint, the right half shaft and did the front brakes. All of this for less than $450.00, two weekends of my time and a few skinned knuckles. This week I'm taking it to a mechanic to fix the fuel gage and temp gage. I know my limitations!

If I can get another 50-60K out of it that would be great. The VUE has 208K on it already. The MB already has 32K so I want to keep it home more often than not.

[Dori]

I like those Pathfinders, Dori.  I tried to talk my sister into one a few months back, but she ended up spending 10X what you did on something newer that she'll be making payments on.

I love that auction.  If you put a deposit down on a car, you can drive if off and they give you three days to return it.  You can go through it, test drive it and get it checked out by a mechanic.  It's amazing how cheap some of those cars go for.

I've had good luck with used cars and bad luck with new cars.  One new car was such a lemon, I swore I would never buy another one.  Also, the dealerships charge a fortune for even minor maintenance. Trying to keep a new car under warranty is a total scam.   

 

[GOBUCKS]

I don't understand driving junk cars, unless financially there's no alternative.

There is no amount of savings that compensates for being stranded by a broken-down "beater" in the middle of no place, at night.
 

[landofconfusion80]

I don't understand driving junk cars, unless financially there's no alternative.

There is no amount of savings that compensates for being stranded by a broken-down "beater" in the middle of no place, at night.

we tend to keep a 3K cap on our cars and here's why:  99.9% of whatever could possibly go wrong with them can be fixed for a fraction of what a $400 car payment would be.  When you do your own car repairs, it makes even more sense.  Case in point, my wife's new to her 2001 GMC Yukon XL. picked it up for right at $3000.  they're still going for 5500-8000 most places.  Even if I have to drop in a fresh motor, that only costs $500-$1000 and we're still money ahead.  It's nice to have only the mortgage to focus on paying down every month.