Budget DD and High Mileage

Like some of you guys I'm looking for something of a new DD to replace our two cars we currently have. Since we just got married we have two cars that were both daily drivers - but we only need one now. Goal is to get rid of both and replace with one.

We're working with a $2000ish budget and looking for something late 90's early 00's to replace the two 1999s we have. Everything we can find it pushing 180k or more. Even if it is lower it's rusted out like swiss cheese from upstate NY winters.

Last car we checked was a 2000 Focus that had an engine rebuild at 100k, chassis mileage is at 210k with a blown clutch. Spent most of it's like in NYC/NJ so it's not rusted out like everything here but the mileage is really off putting. Our Cavalier is at 180k now, but it's significantly rustier compared to the Focus.

I expect the answer is "spend more" or "travel" but I'm just curious how you guys on a budget handle things. I feel I'm being unreasonable looking for a lower mileage car of that year range.

gootenbeez wrote: I expect the answer is "spend more" or "travel".

I'd add patience and persistence to that list. It took a month of searching to find a $3000 1-ton cargo van in decent shape with low miles. Also, if you search c-list first thing in the morning and last thing at night, you can sometime score deals before anyone else has the opportunity.

What are the current cars and what's the logic in selling both? Sell worst existing one, use money to fix up other or save?

Unless your other two cars are rusted very badly, I'd probably say sticking with one of them would be your best option. The 2k price point isn't giving you a lot of options, and I know from experience (having lived most of my formative years in Upstate NY) that most of what you're going to find up there has been bitten by the rust bug at that age.

You really don't have to travel TOO far to get decent, less-rusty cars, though. In parts of MD and VA the winters aren't nearly as bad, and there's some pretty clean 10 to 15 year old iron plying the streets.

The old Cavaliers tended to be pretty reliable cars. Sure, they were boring and butt-terrible, but they just don't die. If you want something a bit nicer the A-body GM cars are fine DD's too- Olds Cutlass Ciera, Chevy Celebrity, Buick Century. The V6 cars have a bit of pep to them, too. And if you're looking at possibly having a family down the road, they fit 4 on a driving vacation just fine. My parents had a 1990 Olds Ciera for a number of years and it was a perfectly capable, reliable family hauler. It survived me using it as a high school car and eventually met its maker with nearly 200k on the clock when my brother was T-boned (he was fine, car was totalled) in it.

Logic in selling both is this:

My car: 99 ZX2 currently has no rocker panels and some pretty nasty rust on the inner rockers, tons of side damage from a PO who was side swiped and enough cob jobbing I've seen that I don't want the wife really relying on it. It was fine for me to commute with, I've had $750 cars all my life, but she hasn't.

Her car: 99 Cavalier (3spd auto) We drive this 99% of the time because she just recently learned to drive a manual transmission (ZX2 above). This little guy runs just peachy, but from multiple accidents we're seeing some problems rearing their heads. Plus the mileage is horrendous for a car of that size and we've been driving a lot more recently, to the tune of 300 miles a week vs 150 at most before.

In the end we're looking for a singular car with better fuel economy (30+ hopefully, similar to the ZX2) with a manual transmission for her. Makes sense in our heads, maybe not so much when you say it out loud.

patience and luck.

Persistence and luck. There are deals to be had, but this is not the greatest time of the year to be buying a car.

No rust means you'll have to get a car that was either babied and never driven in snow, or from somewhere else. Low miles, best bet is a little old ladies' car. The majority of the cars in that price range are going to be considered "used up" by their current owners, so that's gonna mean higher miles and in not great condition.

You can better your odds and "win" quicker if you decide to travel a bit or up your price or both.

Yeah. Sounds like everything I expected. I never expected a rust free car or a 100k car - only something that was reasonable with some life left. I'm still amazed at how used car prices have jumped up recently. Thanks clunkers.

I'll just keep my eyes peeled in a couple hundred mile radius for a nice Saturn/Neon/Focus or similar and keep driving the Cavalier until something comes along.

Thanks for the confirmation the deals are still there only a little harder to find.

I'm questioning your choice of a stick.

I understand that they make otherwise blah cars a little more entertaining to drive, but at the 2k price point you really don't want to limit your options any.

Besides most manual cars are either on the very base super econo models, which I have found means the owners often didn't do mmuch to take care of them, or on the performance oriented model, which Cary a higher price usually then the auto version

I'd be looking for the little old lady cars, specifically 3800 buicks olds etc they get very respectable mileage (30 on the road) and tend to be better taken care of

Unfortunately, right AFTER tax return season is the worst time to be shopping for a decent $2k car.

But they're out there!

Just look on craigslist south of the Mason–Dixon line for a decent Escort. Drive down in the biggest heap you have, meet at a scrap yard,buy the other car, and sell the heap for gas money back home

Around Ohio those escorts are everywhere, can't be much different down south right?

Oh and if you bring a car back up from the south make sure to rust proof it good. Maybe that paraffin coating they spray inside of the rockers and such?

I'll just say this. I've owned more than 40 cars, American, Japanese, German, Sweedish, British...you get the idea. The least reliable turd I has was a 2000 Focus. I can not recommend it to anyone.
How handy are you as far as repairs go?

Sounds to me like you need a saturn! An SL (sedan) or SW (wagon, if you want more space). Around here I see them with a around 120k miles for under 2 grand pretty regular and that mileage is just getting broken in. I have a 99, super basic model, 5 speed no power steering, it's ridiculously reliable. Average 33 mpg commuting to work driving like an idiot. I bought mine with 140k miles and it now has 216k and counting. The only thing it has needed is a water pump, and that was at over 200k. Just regular maintenance, it does burn oil, apparently they all do over 100k, just check it and make sure it stays full (mine takes a quart or two between oil changes at this point). Mine is on the original clutch (although i think it may finally be dying). I haven't even done brake pads (although it's about time). It's a freaking tank, I drive it unreasonably hard daily, I've done my best to kill it, overheated the heck out of it with basically no coolant (because I kept putting off fixing the water pump and it was leaking like a sieve) and it just keeps running. From what I've read online my experience is pretty normal. They just keep running.

I was looking for the same criteria as you the last few months, in the same areas too. I found a number of Foci and Hyundai Accents with under 150k and minimal rust (yes up in CNY minimal is a relative term) for around $2000. The Hyundai is a pretty good car for what it is, and I'm DDing a '98 with 223K miles on it now. That's with a dozen plus rallycrosses and ice races, not to mention my little sister owning it in NYC for a while....

Saturns are at the top of my list for what would be ideal. I had my eyes on a 98 SW1 with 139k for around 1500, but I wasn't looking to replace anything at that point. Just musing.

DrBoost - No terrible but not the best, still learnin'! With some assistance I've done a transmission swap, clutch replacement and some various little stuff on the fwd cars I've had.

James - Good to see another CNY fellow here! I was over in Ithaca when the Drive-By Truckers were playing last year or the year before. I did see some decent cars recently (Binghamton, Rome, Rochester...), didn't start seriously looking until a few weeks ago though. I never really thought about the Accent...good to know.

I'm certainly not going to stop looking, I'll just have to wait it out and not fret the weeks/months that it's a bit dry on the market.

gootenbeez wrote: DrBoost - No terrible but not the best, still learnin'! With some assistance I've done a transmission swap, clutch replacement and some various little stuff on the fwd cars I've had.

Sounds like you're ready for a $2,000 car then. Heck, after owning enough $2,000 cars you'll be ready to own one $10,000 French car haha.
I just wanted to make sure you were ready for the realities of a $2,000 car. I can't believe the number of people I've run into that have bought a cheap car and really expected nothing to be wrong with it. Really? Really??
A guy I know just bought a 1983 300SD Mercedes Benz for $1500. He's complaining that the A/C doesn't work and it leaves a few drops of oil everywhere it's parked. Again, really? Really???

If it made it to 200+k and it still looks like it's in decent shape cosmetically, it's probably in decent shape mechanically, too. I'd not worry.

OTOH, I have three cars - 370k, 216k, and 72k. 370k is still on its factory engine, trans, and clutch. 72k doesn't run and hasn't for quite some time...

In reply to gootenbeez:

I'd say just have a little patience and wait for a great deal to pop up. I always have regrets when I buy something while actively looking. I looked 24/7 for a week before I bought my convertible e30 with $1k burning a hole in my pocket. It's turned out to be a fun car, but was not really a steal considering the fixes it needed. My $250 VW jetta however brings no thoughts of regret, and just sort of popped up while I was barely looking. Bottom line, keep an eye open but don't buy unless its a steal. Also don't even try to pick a make/model unless your prepared to pay market value, and $2000 doesn't buy much right now.

Sounds like you're ready for a $2,000 car then. Heck, after owning enough $2,000 cars you'll be ready to own one $10,000 French car.

Magazine worthy, i think..

Vigo wrote:

Sounds like you're ready for a $2,000 car then. Heck, after owning enough $2,000 cars you'll be ready to own one $10,000 French car.

Magazine worthy, i think..

Thanks Vigo. I wasn't sure if anyone was going to get the implied humor.

Keep looking and be patient. They're out there, but hard to find. Lots of $1000 cars that people think are worth $2000. Not many $2500 cars out there that people only ask $2000 for, but they do show up from time to time. When you find one, you have to act fast because others recognize it as a bargain and will snatch it up.

From your situation, sounds like the perfect car for you would be a late 90's or early 00 Geo/Chevy Prizm. It's a Corolla with a GM badge. You can find them in that price range. They are about the most bullet proof cars ever made.

Klayfish wrote: From your situation, sounds like the perfect car for you would be a late 90's or early 00 Geo/Chevy Prizm. It's a Corolla with a GM badge. You can find them in that price range. They are about the most bullet proof cars ever made.

Except for the transmissions that eat differential bearings because the diff has a separate fluid and nobody ever checks it, or the 1ZZ engines that start drinking oil after about 100k, or the severe body rot issues where the windshield is usually held in by gravity and luck...

But other than that, great cars!

I can concur with the oil consumption on those Prizms. My friend's drank oil worse than my old Saturn, which is impressive. Always got him where he was going still.

I think I'll be upping the price cap and waiting out for a decent deal in the surrounding area. Hopefully my buyer's anxiety doesn't kick in when I find "the one." Until then I'll ride it out with the Cavalier after welding the trunk striker back where it belongs.

DrBoost - A car where everything works...do those exist? I've certainly never owned one! Though I think I'll avoid the French cars for now until I get a garage...which should hopefully be soon.

Thanks everyone, I appreciate the help and support!

I'd add my hat to the suggestion of a Saturn sedan/wagon. Keep the oil filled up and changed regularly (and find one that has been treated this way before you got it) and it should be perfect for you. Around here you can find newer S-series for under $2000 all day long, ranging from one that have issues for around $800 to ones that look like they run fine and are in good condition for closer to $2k. They're absolutely ubiquitous in junkyards, so most parts you need to replace can be found on the cheap there, and most of the rest are readily available (again, cheaply) online. My 2000 SL2 gets 35 MPG consistently on the highway and mid-20s around town. I've long said that if it were destroyed today I'd be hunting for a good conditions SW2 of the same vintage to replace it.