Winter car shopping time again

Guys Im about giddy with it. I've ALWAYS wanted to do this -- get a new fun car every year for cheap. ...except it would be nice if I could actually afford it. In any event, I now present to you:

FIND P3PPY A WINTER/RALLY CAR FOR $2,500*,**,*** - 2021 EDITION!!

*price after everything necessary is fixed, and the laundry list cannot be too long or Mrs. P3PPY will nix it

**Bonus points if it can use the 4 205/55/16 tires I put on the Saabaru 2,000 miles ago :(

***4WD/AWD is a must, just for my own enjoyment  

TRIPLE bonus points if I can get it in time for this year's POR coming up on... Saturday!! (Assuming registration isn't already closed...)

Back story is that the 2005 Saab 9-2x Linear that JShaawbaru gave me is beyond repair -for real this time. Gas line, brake lines, alternator, battery, misc little things, RF hub eventually, leaking externally from the head gasket, all on 261k miles. It has lots of nice new lower suspension parts tho :/

EDIT: POR registration is apparently closed. No triple points to anyone. 

Not AWD. But I do have a 2005 Volvo V50 Turbo 6-speed manual in Northwest CT, it's in your price range, perfect winter car
Larry

ignition *at*netzero  *com*

Have I got the deal for you.

In Chicago we called it skeetching but the internet calls it skitching.   

Winter car had a good bumper to hang on to.  
 

We called it "bumper hitch'n" or just hitch'n.  

What's the hive think on AWD BMWs and Lancers?

Subaru seems like the easy button, but I don't know that I can bring myself to buy another Subaru just because of the head gasket issue. And I will still try to stay away from MI if I can help it since rust definitely put the kill on my joy.

Are there any other smallish AWD cars that lend themselves to donuts in the parking lot or sliding sideways on muddy roads? And I know RWD with snows can do amazing things, but I hope to do more and more offroad things.

Suzuki SX4?

Grand Vitara Sport

Volvo VXXX AWD

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/558254122182993/

Here you go.  Stick shift big motor AWD Jaaaag.

KyAllroad said:

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/558254122182993/

 

Here you go.  Stick shift big motor AWD Jaaaag.

!? Is that a reasonable price? That thing looks like it's in great shape

In reply to P3PPY :

X-types depreciate like a granite parachute. I'd call that a decent price just because it won't have the rust that a $2500 Jaguar has here in Michigan........and I'd offer less than his asking price,too. Picture it with four huge lights careening around northern Michigan in next year's POR...

In reply to DeadSkunk (Warren) :

Non sporty cars with manual trans are really hard to sell. Now, sure, to you and I, we see some sport in this one but the Vtec-yo crowd will not see the same. Everyone else in the suburbs just wants suv or bigger. 

It says it needs catalytic converter. Is that because the current cat causes it to throw codes or is the cat missing and the car is loud as hell? 

The rust-free-ness will be nice but mechanically Jaguar is probably just as risky or more risky than Subaru. 

In reply to John Welsh :

John, you're turning into a sensible old man well before your time..........

P3PPY said:

KyAllroad said:

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/558254122182993/

 

Here you go.  Stick shift big motor AWD Jaaaag.

!? Is that a reasonable price? That thing looks like it's in great shape

We paid $3K for ours a couple of years ago and got a great deal.  I'd bet you can get this one for 2K pretty easily.  

I drive ours to work today and it's a fine little car.  Not exactly fast but zippy enough to be interesting and VERY capable in the snow and ice compared with anything 2wd.  Comfy seats and decent driving dynamics.

Certainly a better place to sit compared with anything else for the money.

I know I'm asking for an unreliable beater when I'm looking at about $2k, so it's kind of a toss-up between which untimely demise I want.

Unmodified, are these ones known for being fragile when taken off-road? ...or does everyone else have sense enough to not do that?

I too wondered if anyone had off-roaded one of these.  Look what google returned: Mud-Type

The graphic of The Queen on board is awesome!

I now vote that this Jaguar should be bought and this project should commence immediately.  

P3PPY said:

I know I'm asking for an unreliable beater when I'm looking at about $2k, so it's kind of a toss-up between which untimely demise I want.

Unmodified, are these ones known for being fragile when taken off-road? ...or does everyone else have sense enough to not do that?

There are a couple of local guys that rallycross a 3.0 awd x-type manual. They are currently building it for stage rally, last I heard the cage was completed. 

I did a couple runs in it when it was mostly stock but with the interior stripped and it felt like a wrx that is always at full boost. 

In reply to EvanB :

that description is... intriguing!

My wife thinks they're garish but says she wouldn't stop me.

OOOOOOKAY, is anyone able to go look at it for me?? I'll be in Franklin, TN next Sat

I really liked that Saabaru so I'm reconsidering my ban on them (reminds me of how I went into the minivan purchase with forbidding MOPAR but ended up with one).

Here are a couple other cars I've found, I'd take advice/thoughts on any of them:

 2003 330xi $3k - seems too low to feel comfortable driving everywhere (see Top Gear in Africa)

2006 Impreza - only diff here from mine is presumable lack of significant undercarriage rust - oops saw it has probs

2006 Audi A6 $3k - big, presumably expensive, bear to work on I hear, 4.2

2002 Volvo V70 XC AWD - 220k miles, $2350 at a dealership, I kinda like it... a lot

I see a few more to check out too, now

A note about the X Type:

I really liked the way it looked so I looked at getting the wife one. It was significantly smaller inside than I'd expect. I'm an average height guy and I found it a bit low in roof height.

Also, I'm a big fan of 2nd gen explorers for snow.

2.5k should get you 2 AWD 5.0s

Stampie said:

Have I got the deal for you.

This yours? 

In reply to yupididit :

Yes sir.

Edit. Well the car and the kid. The trailer belongs to pimpm3.

So the "Redneck Riviera" is located in Stampieland now?  

In reply to Danny Shields (Forum Supporter) :

It is.  It will end up with a split personality but shall forever be the Redneck Riviera.

In reply to Antihero (Forum Supporter) :

The low ceiling thing was mostly on ingress/egress.   I'm 5'9" with a very average shape and fit comfortably with a helmet on.

But yeah, it's a Ford Contour chassis with mostly Ford mechanicals in a pretty suit of clothes.