Topic: Need some help finding a car (details inside)

[Sheik Yerbouti]

Okay so, this Holiday season has been kind of rough for my family. My grandmother and father were both diagnosed with cancer, so I came home (leaving my bike in Cincinnati). So to top it all off, I was cooking dinner two nights ago and somebody rang on the doorbell. He asked me if the car on the street was mine, I said yes. He said he hit it with his truck. I said how bad, he said pretty bad.

I talked to the insurance company, and they'll assess whether or not they're going to declare it totaled, but on a 10 year old car it doesn't look good. So I may be in the market for a new car. I have about 5 or 6 grand.

I need something reliable and small. I'll be traveling back and forth from cincinnati often to see how my father is.  Maybe a hatchback. Something decent in the snow wouldn't hurt. Something that I could work on if I needed to, and has some parts available.

Any suggestions? Thanks guys.

[bucky katt]

subaru. i love my saturn with nearly half a million miles on it but i also know lots of folks that didnt like their first generation sw/sl/sc saturns with the 1.9l

[Sheik Yerbouti]

I always wanted an old Datsun z. Maybe that's an option, unless you feel like talking some sense into me.

[BeSeeingYou]

Mazda 3

[Rocking-M]

I'm a subaru fan. It's the best general all around awd car out there. Make sure you get the manual tranny.
I became a fan just recently when I bought a wrecked (deer hit) Subaru Impreza 2 door coupe for $300.
173k on the clock, put on a fender, straightened the hood, and installed a axle. she makes a great chain
saw hauler and now as Stihl decals with this one,

[74cb750]

You should be able to find an older Honda Civic for that price.
All the ones in my family have lasted around 250,000miles and
with the right tires never get stuck in the driveway.
good luck

[mgbgt89]

You can't go wrong with a 92-96 civic. Can be had very cheap, great mileage, and parts are dirt cheap and plentiful in junkyards. They are almost as friendly to work on as our old sohc's.

Rust in the quarter panels is very common but i haven't seen any that were so bad the car was in danger of breaking in half like earlier civics. The 97-2000's are mostly the same but a little more complicated.

My friend had a coupe that was swapped with a D15Z1.. Had Vtec-E. Basically a reversed system from normal vtec. It only opened one intake valve per cylinder at low RPM, coupled with a trans with super long gears, He could get 42MPG with the AC blasting.

[tramp]

jeep wrangler
go anywhere and very reliable
lots of parts to buy

[CaféElite]

jeep wrangler

Not for 5-6 grand.. I have owned two wranglers and loved them but the are some of the most over prices cars out there. Plus he is doing a decent amount of driving and the MPG suck.

You can't go wrong with a 92-96 civic.

True but I think the 88-91 civic\crx plateform was so much better in terms of what your get for your money, parts cost\availability, and maintenance. If you can find the 88\89 4WD civic wagon then jump on it. Nothing will stop that car.

Mazda 3

My ex has an 07 and its a great car. I would say if your buying new it this should be in the running for what your looking for but considering your price range its probably not an option.

I always wanted an old Datsun z.

So you want a rust bucket thats going to nickle and dime(pardon the 510 pun) you? A 240z and 510 are on my project car list as I become a old man but I dont think I would ever recommend daily driving either.

I'm a subaru fan.

As I.. I traded off my 04 WRX wagon in 07 and have kicked myself in the ass ever since. I suggest you get a subaru as well but be very caution on buying used. This is one car brand you need to make sure is maintained well. The boxer engine has some pretty hairy tolerances and if are not maintained well will cost you dearly. So single owner older couple with maintenance records and you should buy it but mid 30's and below with any indication of aftermarket BS and I would think twice. Subaru for the win.. (excluding the new ugly as models they are producing).   

[mgbgt89]

[

You can't go wrong with a 92-96 civic.

True but I think the 88-91 civic\crx plateform was so much better in terms of what your get for your money, parts cost\availability, and maintenance. If you can find the 88\89 4WD civic wagon then jump on it. Nothing will stop that car.

You're absolutly right.. Finding one in the rust belt in decent shape is damn near impossible though. The later models still share the ease of maintence and parts availabilty, but much less of the rust issues. They still do rust, just not as severely as the 88-91's.

I want a CRX so bad though.

[mgbgt89]

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Wagovan!

[Sheik Yerbouti]

Bump for more opinions. Thanks!

[super pasty white guy]

Maybe it's just where I am in my life right now... but I had a similar situation to you, similar budget.  Wound up with this.

Sometimes you need what you need, sometimes you need to get what you want.

[kirkn]

Get the best value you can find on a Honda Civic, either of the generations mentioned above.  Full Stop.  Look at at least 5 or 6 of 'em before you buy. 

And, if you absolutely insist on a second choice, go for a similar vintage Toyota Corolla.

Lastly, if you have 5 or 6 grand, do your VERY VERY best to get something for 4 or 4.5.  Keep some of that in the bank because if you search diligently, there won't be much difference between the two, and that extra cash is just a good thing in life to have in the bank.

Good luck with it all,

Kirk

[Industrial Cafe]

I love the 88-91 civic, not the hatch or CRX though.
 wagon or sedan, they make a very reliable, comfortable car. and for 1000 bucks, you'd have an extra 4000 or so you could mod it to be a competitor.
d16 motor with a turbo running 6-8psi, (the wagon is awd stick) rims, sway bars, suspension, strut braces, poly bushed, and a decent exhaust.
you'd still come out with less than 6000. and you can't kill them.


my 2cents.

[bender01]

Look for am 88-94? Gm look for a Buick or Olds ,Grand prix, with the 3.1. Find a retired persons garaged 4 door and ride it a few years. Save the other 3K for a sweet cb! So what if its tan on tan.

[Sheik Yerbouti]

I love the 88-91 civic, not the hatch or CRX though.
 wagon or sedan, they make a very reliable, comfortable car. and for 1000 bucks, you'd have an extra 4000 or so you could mod it to be a competitor.
d16 motor with a turbo running 6-8psi, (the wagon is awd stick) rims, sway bars, suspension, strut braces, poly bushed, and a decent exhaust.
you'd still come out with less than 6000. and you can't kill them.


my 2cents.

Not much of a competitor. I want reliable transportation that happens to be fun to drive, ya know?

[Industrial Cafe]

Man, don't discount the old civic!!
   I'm guessing you've never driven a properly modified one. (not riced out)
My 4dr civic was the most fun car I've ever owned.  It was like driving a street legal go cart.
light weight car, around 140hp and it handled like it was on rails.

all I have left is this drawing I made of it.


I never had the body kit though.

[bender01]

http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/cto/1516129046.html
 For example. Its a 2.8 but offer 1500? All your friends will be like that car is older than me. And in better shape!!??? Name it something cool.

http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/ctd/1519727514.html
 This looks great!


http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/cto/1524498874.html
 You are in PA? Ive seen three grand prixs like this  with 250k + before they were sold. None were babied just barely maitained. In the last five years. But I dont have rust here.  Good luck.

[Sheik Yerbouti]

I'd love to find an old civic (pre-96 is what I need to look for, right? I saw another guy say pre-94s were the best because they had older, simpler diagnostics). If I can find a decent 5 speed with a rust-free body I'll probably go for it. All the CRXs I find have been effed with a bit too much for me to trust, so I'm going to try to find something fairly stock.

So which generations of civics have the most parts? Pre 96?

[Industrial Cafe]

88-91 (4th gen) and 92-95 civics have tons of upgradability, the suspension and engine are the same with the exception of the DOHC Si and vtec SOHC's.
The 92-95's are way heavier, and even with the sohc vtec1.6L they're slower than the mildly modded 4th gen 1.5L cars.


we don't have rust down here like you guys.
just don't upgrade with parts from autozone

if you have any questions, i have tons of knowledge on modding the 4th and 5th gen civics

[bender01]

http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/cto/1512455208.html
 No fun or sex appeal! But damn good looking car with low mileage. Save that money for nice dates! She will appreciate the frugality of your car that always runs and takes her where she wants to go. She wont care how she got home as long as she did hassle free. You are in Pittsburgh?

[mgbgt89]

I'd love to find an old civic (pre-96 is what I need to look for, right? I saw another guy say pre-94s were the best because they had older, simpler diagnostics). If I can find a decent 5 speed with a rust-free body I'll probably go for it. All the CRXs I find have been effed with a bit too much for me to trust, so I'm going to try to find something fairly stock.

So which generations of civics have the most parts? Pre 96?

92-95 were OBDI, 96+ were OBDII. Earlier than 92 were OBD0. They get more complicated with each generation of onboard diagnostics. I wouldn't hesitate to buy any of them though. Honda's don't seem to have the stupid electronic issues that newer GM's have. Stick with the D series engine. I've worked on lots of cars and never have loved working on something as much as a D, and I've never even owned one! My civic has a B16.

[Industrial Cafe]

BTW the Honda automatic transmission of the 88-95 era is crappy.
 stick with the stick.

[Sheik Yerbouti]

I was planning on trying to find a 5 speed anyway.

Which models have the D series engines? My integra had the b16. I'm going to try my damndest to find a pre 95. Mostly because I like the look better, but having a simpler car to wrench on would be a bonus.

[mgbgt89]

Civics and del slow's. The EX's had the best motor as far as performance. There is a stamp on the front of the block right by the transmission that says what motor it is. D16Z6 is the best.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_D_engine

That will tell you all the versions of the D motor. And stay far away from the auto honda's of that era like IC said. They are garbage.