Need advice on non-rover purchase...

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Author Message   Jason Kozma (Ravensjk) Posted on Friday, July 19, 2002 - 10:46 am:    My younger brother just got a late admission into a Ph.D. program at the University of Houston. He is currently in Gainesville, Florida and needs to be in Houston by the first week of August. Basically, he has just under two weeks to buy a car. I would do my best to get him in an older Disco, but here are the details... He is a student = very little $$$ to buy car He has no job = no $$$ to maintain car He has around $3,000 to spend in all. I was wondering what advice some of you may have on the subject. Any car we get for that price will be a beater, so we are looking for the best beater available (grin). We are considering an older Honda or Toyota with under 130k or an older Mercedes or Volkswagen diesel. I have personally owned an older Honda in my college days and it ran fine up to 140k when I sold it. I saw it again a few years later and it had 180k and was still running fine. Having said that, I would personally like to see him in a Mercedes diesel. I have heard that a well maintained diesel will run forever and Mercedes sedans have a classic style to them that always looks sharp. Where as a mid 80s japanese car looks like, well... average. So, anyone with experience with diesel Mercedes? How long can you expect that car to last? Any opinions are welcome. And even though I love the Mercedes, we need a reliable car first, a stylish car second. Thanks for the help!!!   Leslie N. Bright (Leslie) Posted on Friday, July 19, 2002 - 10:56 am:    A diesel Mercedes really can last forever, my father-in-law had one for ages, BUT! You've got to keep tinkering on 'em, and, parts aren't particularly cheap for them. It'd be great as a hobby car, but I'd shy from it if I was looking for a dependable driver. IMHO, FWIW, YMMV, yada yada yada...... -L   Glenn Guinto (Glenn) Posted on Friday, July 19, 2002 - 11:01 am:    Mercedes diesels are really good engines and are known to run forever* (provided of course, they are well taken care of). I think your last sentence summed it all up, "reliable car first, stylish second" SO here is my .02 cents on this. FWIW.... I'd say if you find a really good late 70's early 80's 240D or 280D for under 3K, go for it! (buy a good workshop manual for it, subscribe to the mercedes-veterans.com mailing list and go to mercedesshop.com for a good discoweb-like forum and your set.) If you can't find any, I would personally go with an older (mid 80s) Honda. They're very good solid little cars. Less maintenance required. I bought an 86 Honda Accord for 800 bucks with 130K miles as a beater and it lasted me 3 years and it always passed the strict NJ emissions inspection. Never did anything but changed the oil and did a brake job once. It still is alive and kicking right now but I already passed it on to someone that needed a beater car more than I did. Good luck! -glenn   Glenn Guinto (Glenn) Posted on Friday, July 19, 2002 - 11:02 am:    damn, Les beat me to it again... -glenn gotta learn how to type faster...   Dave_Lucas (Dave_Lucas) Posted on Friday, July 19, 2002 - 11:03 am:    My vote is for the Toyota then the Honda. I have had several Toyota trucks that have gone 200K+ with little or no repairs. I think Toyota is the best option when looking for a low cost economy beater. Honda would be the next choice for a low cost reliable beater; I have several friends and family members that have had older Honda cars that just would not die. For a third choice you could always look at Subaru, you can pick them up super cheap and they run forever. Granted they may sound like hell and look like hell but they will keep going and going and going.   Sus (Susannah) Posted on Friday, July 19, 2002 - 11:07 am:    My first two cars were a 79 and 81 Mercedes 300D respectively...I loved them and I would love to own another. BUT, while they can run forever if well maintained...they are expensive to fix and also quirky if you have to find someone who can work on them. I got burned a few times by some seedy mechanics who would fix one things and somehow another would break...they would try to keep my car in the shop for weeks at a time. I was left stranded QUITE a few times and then there were other times when the car wouldn't STOP running. I would definitely own another one though...it's like Rovers. THey get in your blood stream and you don't care how badly they run. For an economical choice, I'd go Honda or Toyota..though they can have their share of trouble. Even an Isuzu Trooper for SUV. But I agree, Mercedes diesels are great to own and very classic. You really have to know what to look for pre-purchase though, and it would be worth spending more upfront for one before getting into maintenance costs. Good luck!   Leslie N. Bright (Leslie) Posted on Friday, July 19, 2002 - 11:09 am:    Hey now, I like the looks of my Subaru! Tho' I have to admit, the older Subies aren't anywhere near as appealing as the new blue ones.... lol...... Sounds like hell? Sounds like a airplane, but not bad, IMHO.... And, they do run forever.... and, older ones are dirt cheap... I've seen several for sale in this area that are like $500, and appear to be in great running shape, they just have a sorry paint job that suffered from neglect.... -L PS: Glenn, I'll try to type slower....   Al Oliveira (Offroaddisco) Posted on Friday, July 19, 2002 - 11:10 am:    Another one is an older BMW 530i. Look for a 1977 era one. I've had one go well over 200k miles with little repairs (and the car has been sold but is still on the road) other than brakes. Get a 4 speed stick verion.   Sus (Susannah) Posted on Friday, July 19, 2002 - 11:12 am:    Yeah, the Subaru might be a good choice as well!   M. K. Watson (Lrover94) Posted on Friday, July 19, 2002 - 11:18 am:    get a mid 90's nissian truck (91-94) i have owned them and they last forever. not too stylish, but cheap to drive and maintain! mike w   Dave_Lucas (Dave_Lucas) Posted on Friday, July 19, 2002 - 11:22 am:    Leslie, Sorry about that, your Subaru is sweet, I was refering to the older ones, they sound like the motor is going bad but they just keep running. And as you stated they are super cheap. Actually I may bump honda to third and put a Subaru in second place on my list, considering how cheap they are and how well they seem to last.   Glenn Guinto (Glenn) Posted on Friday, July 19, 2002 - 11:23 am:    Guys, don't forget, he's off to college... Girls, Booze, you need some decent space to store all those things in... Look for a diesel Mercedes station wagon or if you want a truck, try an old Bronco.   chu Posted on Friday, July 19, 2002 - 11:30 am:    Those older Subaru's are not as wimpy as they look! I was running around doing about 110 a few weeks ago, and I saw this guy tailing me. It was a damn wedge style Subie!!! I eventually got irked and sped away, but that's not bad for a little 4 w/AWD. chu   Robbie (Robbie) Posted on Friday, July 19, 2002 - 11:30 am:    heck, if you want a truck, get an 85 4Runner. that way you get solid axles front and rear and a pretty unstoppable motor in the 4cyl 22R. had an 86 that went to 200k miles when i sold it and still running strong (even after drowning it in a river). plus you get the cool factor   Dave_Lucas (Dave_Lucas) Posted on Friday, July 19, 2002 - 11:45 am:    chu, Where were you running that fast around here?   chu Posted on Friday, July 19, 2002 - 12:29 pm:    Dave, this was about 6 am on a saturday on my way down to Colo Springs. That stretch between Castle Rock and the Springs is a freaking speedway. People love to push it. Maybe that's why there's so many fatalities there. Go figure.   Leslie N. Bright (Leslie) Posted on Friday, July 19, 2002 - 12:31 pm:    I know Dave, just giving you a hard time.... -L   RVR OVR (Tom) Posted on Friday, July 19, 2002 - 01:28 pm:    For 3 grand there is little out there but total pieces of crap. Will he be working at all? Up that 3 grand to 6 grand a buy a buse model Kia and have a $100/month payment. 10year/100,000 warranty and you are not buying somebody else's trash. Believe me, I know. I just shopped for the magic reliable $3K car...there is little out there to be found unless a freind or family member is selling something you know has been kept well. I thought I found one, but it is turning out to be a nightmare. Tom   Jason Kozma (Ravensjk) Posted on Friday, July 19, 2002 - 04:06 pm:    Thanks for all of the advice. It very well may come down to what is available at the time he is looking. With under two weeks to locate, test drive, and have checked out mechanically he will not have the luxury of being too picky. Tom: The $3k he does have is what the university is giving him for his teaching assistant position that he will be doing while in school. He may wait tables or something a few days a week, but is going to take his chances with a used car. He is considering Volvos as well now.   Paul D. Morgan (V22guy) Posted on Friday, July 19, 2002 - 04:30 pm:    Volkswagen.   niall forbes (Forbesn) Posted on Friday, July 19, 2002 - 04:40 pm:    Man, you guys must have way higher standards or way higher used car prices. $3k should be plenty of money to get a great used car. Hell, up here $3k CDN is plenty. Your 3k is over $4600 to me and you can definitely buy a nice car for that. You should be able to find a great 91-92 diesel Jetta for that. Go with those years rather than the newer body style 93 as the A2 is a better car. Volvo 240 wagons should be all over the place for that money. They hold a ton of stuff and are seriously over built. I even towed my IIa 88 from Ottawa to Halifax with my Volvo. With a bit of looking, you should be able to find a nice early 80's 300d Mercedes. They're great with the 5cyl turbo diesel. The VW parts are much cheaper than the Volvo or Mercedes. Another option would be a late 80's/early 90's Saab. They hold up great as well. Japanese cars are great as people have mentioned but I've found their parts t be horrendously expensive, especially Toyota. There are just so many options, unfortunatly you don't have much time, because that's what is required to really get a super deal. Anyway, whatever he gets, it obviously needs A/C. Removable carpet will help when it gets hit with a flood ;-) Houston is a great city, I can't wait to go back.   Gil Stevens (Gil) Posted on Friday, July 19, 2002 - 05:48 pm:    i just bought an 89 4 runner with 165k on the clock for $1000. She runs like a champ. I say go toyota.. its hard to beat the 22re. It wont get you anywhere to fast, but it will get you there. Ive had this truck for 4 days and i already popped off the doors and the top. for 1000 bucks you cant beat it.   ravensjk Posted on Friday, July 19, 2002 - 09:53 pm:    A 4-Runner for a grand. I am sure he would take it in a heartbeat. Even the old beater 4-Runners I have seen are overpriced. i.e. I did a search on autotrader.com and the only 4-runner within 30 miles that is even remotely in his range is $5k and has 197k miles. I will pass on that.   Jake Hartley (Jake) Posted on Saturday, July 20, 2002 - 11:59 am:    I would suggest a 2000-2500 car, with a 500 reserve to fix whatever things go wrong the first year. In Texas, Hondas are cheap, as are old Volvos. I would recommend a 240 Volvo wagon or sedan (sedan is cheaper). Check the Houston Chronicle or AutoTrader.   niall forbes (Forbesn) Posted on Saturday, July 20, 2002 - 12:42 pm:    Yeah, if he can wait till he gets to Houston (ie. he doesn't need the car to move there), there are a ton of cars for sale in that town. Their auto classified section in the Saturday paper is larger than my local paper!! That would also give him more time to look.   Ron Posted on Sunday, July 21, 2002 - 10:25 pm:    240 volvo, 4 banger stick hondas, sentras, corollas, toy trucks are overpriced though. Geo prizm (aka toy corolla in different sheet metal) "I thought I found one, but it is turning out to be a nightmare." You should have bought my honda Tom Ron   Todd Sanders (Sanderskog) Posted on Sunday, July 21, 2002 - 10:48 pm:    Honda - everyone says they run forever because they do. Sure they are lifeless and lack style but they are not meant for that. Personally I like VW. They may break more than a Honda but are a heck of a lot more fun to drive, cheap to repair, and have a little more styling than the Honda. Now if you want my honest opinion. Go buy an old BMW 2002. Real easy to work on, a kick to drive, tons of support, and the girls love them for some odd reason. Todd '68 BMW 2002 Track Rat Code Description My 2002 '99 Disco I   Neal Glessner (Nealg) Posted on Monday, July 22, 2002 - 12:17 am:    Todd, Don't get me wrong, I'm a big fan of 2002's but I find it hard to believe that you are picking up chicks in a car that is primered. (He he);)   Todd Sanders (Sanderskog) Posted on Monday, July 22, 2002 - 11:32 am:    Primered? That is custom Seattle camouflage!!! Note - I didn't say they liked mine. Believe me, most women find the roll cage, racing buckets, aluminum trimmed interior, and 5 pt harnesses a little uncomfortable. Not to mention the ride. It corners like a bat out of hell though... Todd   Neal Glessner (Nealg) Posted on Monday, July 22, 2002 - 12:14 pm:      Jason Kozma (Ravensjk) Posted on Wednesday, July 24, 2002 - 11:36 am:    My brother just went to go see an older Honda. The seller is a mechanic and bought it to fix up and sell and he doesn't have any history on the car. Any chance someone can get the carfax history for me? The VIN is JHMCA5484JC058909. Thanks!   Hank (Disco_Tex) Posted on Friday, July 26, 2002 - 04:31 pm:    Go Suzuki Samurai Shopping. You can get a whole lotta Sammi for that price. Simple to work on, and he can wheel it if he wants too!! H   Kingfish (Kingfish) Posted on Friday, July 26, 2002 - 05:02 pm:    Japanese cars will last a long time, but after 100k, they need to be maintaned well. Tell your brother to look for a Volvo 240. They are indestructable, and can outlast ANY japanese car, not to mention a better ride and a much more solid feeling. Their parts are also cheaper. The only thing they need is a timing belt replacement at 60k.   KJ Posted on Friday, July 26, 2002 - 10:12 pm:    Gotta agree with Kingfish one this one. I still have my 1987 Volvo 240 DL (read that entry-level), and it's got something like 175K miles on it. It's still going strong and has been near bullet-proof all these years (I've owned it since new). They go stupid cheap and I know many people who've had them go 300K miles and more. I remember when Volvo used to give out badges that attached to the grill of the car for every 100K miles. I used to see cars with 5 or 6 badges with frequency. I don't think they do that anymore, maybe it got too expensive (G). I recall reading about a school teacher who had a Volvo he bought new and Volvo threw him a party when it turned over 1 million miles. They are not sexy or high performance vehicles, but if you want to get there and want a safe ride, they are great little cars. Karen   Jason Kozma (Ravensjk) Posted on Tuesday, July 30, 2002 - 10:15 am:    Well, with only a few days to spare he finally made a purchase. He ended up getting a 93 Saturn with 130k miles. All things considered I think he did ok. He looked primarily at Mercedes Diesels (only found 1), Toyotas, Hondas, and Volvos, with a few others as he found them. All of the other cars he saw were absolute S@!#. Apparently, this wasn't the best time to be buying and with only about a week to decide he didn't have the luxury of patience. The Saturn is unproven at high mileage, as far as I know. However, it was owned by a middle aged couple that have had it forever, have all of the service records, and have just recently spent a good bit of $$$ getting the car running perfectly. He got it for below blue book value and while it is not going to woo the ladies I think he got a good deal; time will tell. Thanks for all the help.   Leslie N. Bright (Leslie) Posted on Tuesday, July 30, 2002 - 10:25 am:    I won't knock it for use as a driver. Not flashy, not exciting, but practical. Could have done a LOT worse. As you said, though, time will tell. -L   KJ Posted on Wednesday, July 31, 2002 - 12:37 am:    I agree with Leslie, seems like a solid choice as long as he's satisfied with the service records. He can get a Stud Muffin Mobile later. Karen