JKDGabe Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 I need a car. I'm sick of commuting in the truck and I need to put it in the barn and work on it anyway. I want either a diesel or sportscar. Diesel for the grease/biodiesel aspect but if I can't find that I wanna have some fun! Requirements A: 25 mpg hwy B: manual trans. C: rear wheel drive D: rust free! If not, it better be old and cheap I'll have about 3k to spend. I'm thinking early '90's stang. I'd get a 240sx but the popularity of those has driven the price past what I think they're worth. Gimme some idea's... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay1970Z Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 Well, you could always go for a mid-80's diesel Mercedes. As for the Mustang, you really can't beat the bang for your buck factor of the fox bodies but if you go with the 5.0 then so much for your gas mileage. For 3k you could get a 95-98 or so (newer body style) 6 cylinder Mustang or go for a 93-97 Firebird or Camaro V6. I know its not RWD but you could consider a first gen Eclipse/Talon/Laser turbo, and then you could have AWD. You could also try a 2nd gen RX-7 or an MKIII Supra, those are fun cars as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z-TARD Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 Early Miata, and when it blows it's own guts out on the road you can shoehorn a V-8 into it Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 Late 80's or early 90's BMW 3-series (325 - stay away from the 318 ). They get around 25 mpg highway (18-20 city). A late 80's E30-series should be under $3000. My 1992 325is was $4600. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quicker240 Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 I've got a pretty decent 90 240sx for sale.5sp,ac,sunroof,good interior,straight body,a billion miles but reliable.I would'nt hesitate to drive it anywhere.1800 if you're interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKDGabe Posted February 1, 2005 Author Share Posted February 1, 2005 Late 80's or early 90's BMW 3-series (325 - stay away from the 318 ). They get around 25 mpg highway (18-20 city). A late 80's E30-series should be under $3000. My 1992 325is was $4600. Hmm, that sounds nice. How's the maintenance costs on those though? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 Beemers aren't to bad as long as you don't get the slush box. We were researching decent used BMWs for the wife and found a host of issues mainly surrounding the auto tranny, so I'd not worry about a manual version.. and the 5 series is leaps and bounds nicer than the 3 series, which isn't a bad ride at all! I was going to mentiong the 240SX or the 5.0 Mustand as another alternative, but other members beat me to it! mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 Volkswagon Jetta or Golf TDI. http://www.tdiclub.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forrest Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 Um, not to sound too obvious here but - why not another S30? It can meet all your above requirements, and you likely already have spare parts and lots of experience working on them. Seems like the most logical answer to me...but if you have some criteria I don't know about and want something else, check out 80's RWD 200sx's - esp the ones that came with a CA18ET. They are cheap, light and fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Magnum Rockwilder Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 82-92 Camaro/Firebird with a 305/T5 combo. They'll get 25+mpg and run 14's. The Fox Mustang is another good choice. I'd stay away from Mercedes', Volvo, BMW, Volkswagen, etc due to parts cost and complication of repairs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
datsunlover Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 Yah, I'll second the 80's 200sx.. I had an 85 that I bought for $500, and drove the hell out of for 2.5 years. Then I sold it to a guy for $300, and he wrecked it in a high speed chase! Good little cars... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKDGabe Posted February 1, 2005 Author Share Posted February 1, 2005 Thanks to all. Um, not to sound too obvious here but - why not another S30? Rust. I can't find one that doesn't need work (in my price range) and can't bear to own a Z that looks bad. Besides, for a car that's mostly gonna be a commuter I'd like something a little younger than 30 yrs old. I'd love to have a TDI Jetta! There's only a handful in TX in my price range and I can't find any of 'em for sale. They're all in CA or the frozen wasteland of the northeast it seems like. It's so hard to trust people nowadays to tell the truth about what they're selling unless you can inspect it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKDGabe Posted February 1, 2005 Author Share Posted February 1, 2005 Just looked on autotrader.com and found quite a few BMW's in my range. Perhaps somebody could help me with the basic differences between the styles such as 318 & 325 etc. I think the 3, 5 and 7 series mostly correlate to the size? Also, how many miles do they last on average? I know, I know, how long is a string right? Pick an average, if there is one. Most of the ones I'm finding have ~200k. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sparky Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 Just looked on autotrader.com and found quite a few BMW's in my range. Perhaps somebody could help me with the basic differences between the styles such as 318 & 325 etc. I think the 3, 5 and 7 series mostly correlate to the size? Also, how many miles do they last on average? I know, I know, how long is a string right? Pick an average, if there is one. Most of the ones I'm finding have ~200k. 318 from 84-87 was a 1.8 SOHC slug of a motor, reliable but very old, very slow, easy to work on, but parts are not S30 cheap (we get spoiled by that and chevy parts prices.) the bimmer is on average cheaper to run than my honda accord. especially if you can do the work yourself. 318 from 90-91 was a DOHC large scale production motor based of the s14 that was in the E30 M3 chassis. its a robust little thing that likes the be revved...not the biggest on HP but sporty non-the-less and fairly reliable. it does have some issues such as the profile gasket and low oil pan clearance. most of the late 318's were black two door IS versions. they typically came equipped with 411LSDs, bigger sportier wheels/tires, slightly stiffer springs and shocks, and higher rate A/R bars. check to make sure it has a LSD...most people did take that option on purchase, but seeing as how it was a budget bimmer, you sometimes get taken...also, some people remove the LSD and swap in a taller gear to keep the revs down on the highway. 325E was a "E"conomy model, low revs, low compression, low power, crazy reliable. the E stopped production in 86/late 87, but did come in an ES variant. if you buy a E version car you can bolt on an "I" head add some other parts and have a super ETA engine, 2.7 liters of higher compression, high revving goodness. most bimmer nuts end up doing this conversion. my friend is working on a 3.1 liter turbo stroker for his 91 E30 chassis. 325IS was the two door only sport version that ran from 87 to 91, five speed, torquey, awesome. some IS cars did get an auto. AVOID THE AUTOMATIC AT ALL COSTS. it sucks and drains the fun out of the car. 84-early 88 3 series cars had huge 5mph bumpers that are rather big and heavy, they also had full size reverse lights, completely vertical. the late 88 to 91 had smaller integrated bumpers, smaller reverse lights , slanted taillight ends, and lower rear wheel wells, most everything on the interior stayed the same. ABS was not standard on any of the 3 series except the 318is and 90's versions. stay away from the 5 series and 7 series. these are money pits that do require higher the average maintenance. this is not always the case though, but it tends to ring true. I would look for a late small bumper 325is with some upgrades, these can easily be had for 3-4K. dont buy from a dealer, always buy from individuals... more... the M20 inline six engine had a timing belt that needs to be changed every 60K miles. if it was changed by the dealer or BMW repair center there will be a sticker on the AFM telling you when it was changed. IMHO, by prepared to change it when you buy the car. no matter what. unless the PO has good proof that it was changed recently. its not a hard job to do, and if you can maintain a Z, you can maintain a 3 series with a little more knowledge and tools. the M42 DOHC 1.8 liter from the 318is has a chain, and is slightly tougher in that regard. the convertable had the large bumpers until 91, and continued in production until early '93. some people will refute this, but IT IS A FACT! the convertable didnt get a power top until 91. bimmer.org bmwe30.net do a google search on E30 (chassis code), M42 1.8 engine code, profile gasket M42, super ETA, and M20 reliability. plenty of info out there. my friends 318is had 200+K miles on it before it threw the #3 rod (the engine had been severely abused for its entire life and had lost oil pressure multiple times due to cracked oil pans (this is an autoX car that was very low) BMW offers a crash guard for the E30 318IS cars, but if you can weld metal you can build one yourself. anything else? with whatever you buy I suggest doing a car-part.com or partsbin.com search on common failure items. water pumps, fuel pumps, AFMs, ignition stuffs. in comparison you will find parts are comparable to many other vehicles in that price range...but the bimmer will tend to retain its value and hover around 3-4k. OH and Bimmer is the automotive slang term, and Beemer is motorcycles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay1970Z Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 Well, the 318 and 325 are pretty much identical except you can get a 318ti which is an ugly hatchback version. As far as powerplants go, the 318 has an anemic 4 banger while the 325 sports a sweet inline 6. My mom has a 1994 325i auto that I used to drive to and from high school. It still doesn't look dated and is decently quick. It usually gets about 20-21 mpg in the city and pushes around 29 mpg on the highway. It handles pretty good too. From what I understand the M50 inline 6 has 190 hp and is supposed to be reallky reliable. My mom has had a few problems with hers, mostly from the plastic fan blades warping and going through the radiator (happened twice). Also the water pump impellers are made of plastic and go bad fast. We've had no transmission problems whatsoever, but the car has become incredibly loud over the years, most people think that it has some sort of aftermarket ricer type exhaust and the drone from it drives my mom crazy. Overall its a damn nice car if you can find one for $3K, but parts are $$$ so make sure you do your homework first. EDIT: I'm referring to the E36 style bimmer, 92-97 model years. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2126 Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 I'll probably get chastized for the following statement, but why not buy a decent road bike....as in bicycle, and commute back and forth to work that way. Think of the bennifits.....low cost, low maintainace, it will get you into physical shape, no lines to weight in, etc., etc. If you don't live more than 30 miles from work, it could be the answer you're looking for. Plus, think of the improved performance you would gain from cycling while doing THE deed in bed with your our half...if you know what I mean! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Magnum Rockwilder Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 30 miles!? Whew! Is that really a reasonable commute on a bike? Are those skinny-tired "racing bikes" easy to ride? How fast is a good average speed for a beginner in decent shape? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2126 Posted February 1, 2005 Share Posted February 1, 2005 On flat terrain, a person in pretty good condition might average 15mph. To put it in perspective....the pros can average over 30 mph without 100% effort. You definitely got to watch out for stuff in the road way...so you won't get a flat. It's not for the meek at heart.....it's actual sweating type work but the rewards are worth it. I prefer riding in the dirt, however I do both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JKDGabe Posted February 2, 2005 Author Share Posted February 2, 2005 Sparky, that was great! 2126, no, I'm not gonna chastize you but it's 65 miles to work. I used to ride a bike almost everywhere I went, didn't get a license 'til I was 18 and a vehicle 'til I was 20. Got a bad back now though, can't even take my motorcycle for very much time. Probably sell that this spring/summer. Thanks though... Edit: Magnum, the racing bikes really are easy to cover ground on. I always had fun on my bike and like he said, it will get you in shape! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z Driver Posted February 2, 2005 Share Posted February 2, 2005 Hmm, that sounds nice. How's the maintenance costs on those though? E36's can be expensive if you don't pick the right car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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